“Every time they talk bad about me, it makes me stronger”
With perfect snow, blue skies and not a wisp of wind, the conditions were idyllic in St. Moritz. Mirjam Puchner (AUT/ Atomic) set the early pace with a balanced and controlled run.
Vonn, though, has meant business all week, clocking the fastest time in training. Aggressive from the gate, it all came together on the bumpier mid-section. Tidy and precise on every turn, she carried massive speed into the lower section.
Vonn was so quick she could barely stop, ploughing into the barriers at the bottom as she wildly punched the air. It was seven years, eight months and 29 days since her last victory (at Are in 2018).
She attributed the moment to a perfect combination of factors. “We worked really hard, not just me but my whole team, from the equipment, physical training, and also we hired Aksel [Lund Svindal, as coach],” she said. “Systematically, every single thing I could do to be faster, I did.
“I knew I was skiing fast, but you never know until the first race, and it was a little faster than I expected.
“I felt nervous, it’s always tricky, the first race of the season. Aksel said at the start: ‘Sofia [Goggia] lost a lot of time at the start but she was able to make it up at the bottom’.
“I was thinking OK, well, I just need to ski the pitch really clean and carry my speed down. I still didn’t ski the best that I could have on the compression on the bottom, but I tried to be dynamic, clean, like I’ve been in training, and it was pretty solid.
“I think I had a great run but I also made some mistakes, so I’m excited for tomorrow.”
That mid-section was key, she believes. “Aksel said it the other day in the press conference, people think I’m a really good glider, but I’m actually a better turner.
“I started off as a slalom skier. And I try to be clean and generate power. That’s where I’m skiing well now, in the turns.”
She didn’t know she had won, initially: “I was stuck in the banner”. But as soon as she did, the American knew she had justification for her comeback. Vonn loves to prove doubters wrong.
“All the people who didn’t believe in me, I have to thank them, because it gives me a lot of motivation,” she said. “I’m surprised people haven’t figured that out by now. Every time they talk bad about me it makes me stronger, better, more motivated. So I’d love for people to keep coming at me.”
