Swiss favourite Lara Gut is a strong home hopeful for the world championships in St Moritz but after a crash last week, the 25-year old is now relishing just being at the start.
When Gut clipped a gate in the Cortina super-g last week, she recovered quickly and skied down the slope unaided, if a little
gingerly.
It was only afterwards that the true nature of bumps and bruises she suffered emerged.
“This week has gone a bit differently as planned,” Gut told journalists Sunday. “My shoulder is okay, hand is okay and leg is okay, quite blue but blue spots are nothing special.”
The week has been spent not focusing on form or strength but with a team of therapists working on her leg – and her attendance shows the first race has already been won.
With the women’s super-g opening the race program today, an expectant nation is looking to Gut to kick-start a medal rush over the 13-day schedule.
At her press conference in the Swiss team hotel an overflow area was required for journalists as Gut declared herself, if not fully fit, then fit enough to compete in German, French, Italian and English.
She did concede that standing too long was problematic but “on the piste it’s a minute and I can ski for a minute.”
The 25-year-old Gut is not only the reigning overall World Cup champion but has won two small globes in super-g and leads the discipline standings with three race victories this season.
She dismissed the notion that the hopes of the Swiss team are on her shoulders despite “crazy” media attention in the build-up.
“I don’t have the feeling I’m at the start alone,” she said. “We’ll all give our best.
“I don’t feel the pressure, I have nothing to lose, defend or to save.”
Gut is out to enjoy her home world championships, though her experience means there are few courses in the world she is not now accustomed to, and St Moritz remains a special place for her. No wonder she said she “loves” coming back to St Moritz when it was at this resort she had her first podium and first victory as a
teenager.
And winning gold today, the first of her scheduled four races which also includes downhill, super-combined and giant slalom, would make it fifth time lucky at her fifth championships after previously collecting three silver and a bronze.
“I just have to ski fast, that’s my goal,” she said. “If at the end of the day I know I did my best that’s alright.
The super-g field is likely to contain strong competition for Gut from record World Cup winner Lindsey Vonn, Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather and the downhill season-dominator Ilka Stuhec but that is no reason to panic.
“I going to be focused on my Skiing and doing what I can,” she said.
“There’s nothing to invent, nothing to find, no answer to find in the sky. I just have to ski and show what I can [do].”
Swiss favourite Lara Gut.
