Dominik Paris, Kitzbühel and the search for the limit

The four-time Kitzbühel winner will answer questions from s+ before the races in Kitzbühel. Paris talks about the difficult last few years, the regained form, the exceptional athlete Marco Odermatt, his expectations for the races on the Streif and about Jannik Sinner, who recently came out as a Paris fan.

Dominik Paris, are you superstitious? “No, not really. Why should I?"

Well, in Kitzbühel you always won or got a podium place in odd-numbered years. Now it's 2024... “I don’t care about these annual statistics. Because then I would have had to drive better in 2023 (5th in the 1st downhill).”

They had a difficult season last year. What is the Domme doing differently this year?

“I put everything to the test after last year’s season. I tested a lot in the spring, especially when it came to ski boots. When things slip under your feet, you simply drive differently. I then took a complete break for a month, shut down my body and mind and did nothing.” “The way Odermatt is currently driving in some corners, no one else is able to do that.” dominik paris Can you explain that? “The season was brutally exhausting, it took a lot of mental strength. When things don't go well, you try everything you can and argue with yourself and the world. I was unsure and didn't know whether I should move forward, backward, up or down. Am I doing too little, am I doing too much? Or should I change something and then that doesn't work either? It was a vicious circle.”

In 2022 they came 42nd and 30th in the two Val Gardena downhill runs: a low point? “You can say that, although I outmaneuvered myself a lot after Christmas. But that's the difference from last year: I turned everything upside down with my coaching and support staff. I don't do as much strength training anymore because I've had enough of it. I changed my conditioning training and focused on making my body more supple, more flexible and more agile. I did special training that was also easier for the mind to process. This kept the pleasure factor high. I also trained a lot in giant slalom and also a few days in slalom. That all helped me.”

First the cancellations in Zermatt and Beaver Creek, then the late start to the season in Val Gardena... “Yes, I got a lot of speed there. Things went smoothly from the first training session and I gained a lot of confidence. On the first descent I rode too hard and wanted to destroy everything. I had a few nailglers in there because I wasn't flexible enough. The next day there was a disaster in the Super-G (1th), but that didn't bother me. With start number 1, I never had the slightest chance as the slopes got faster.”

But things went brilliantly on the second descent... “It took a huge load off my heart and it was a surprise for me. I tried to drive extremely finely, with a lot of feeling. I managed the Ciaslat meadow better than ever before, and when I hit the target I had such a mess that I was shocked myself. 'Today we're going there,' I thought to myself. When I saw the time, I was amazed.”

Feels comfortable on the Streif: Dominik Paris © APA/afp / JOE KLAMAR

Bormio's double zero number didn't dent your self-confidence? “Logically, it was extremely unfortunate. The podium was easy on the descent. If I had just driven down normally, I would have finished 3rd. But I wanted more and risked everything. I knew where I could make the difference. But then this blow came and I was gone. This happens once in 100 attempts. But that’s what happens when you drive at the limit.”

What does pushing yourself to the limit mean to you?

"Good question. Every athlete has a limit. From a technical point of view: Am I still over the skis? Am I still in control of him? In terms of strength: Can I still control centrifugal force even in extreme situations? And then mentally: Do I dare to drive even bolder? Every athlete has their own limit. One takes something out, the other tries to push it out even further. Every athlete has to explore this limit themselves. And then doing that is the great art of skiing. The way Odermatt is currently driving in some corners, no one else is able to do that.”

Because of the falls of some top athletes, there is once again a safety discussion in the Speed World Cup. Justified? “You can’t do 6 more speed races in 6 weekends than you could 5 years ago. You can also do a slalom during the week or in the evening. This discipline is easier to organize than a speed race. Skiing 2 runs in Kitz is an enormous challenge. “It’s hard to grasp, especially mentally.”

Is it a question of physics? “We are already fit, but if the head weakens just a little bit, the body also becomes weaker. As soon as concentration drops a little in a single passage, the risk of something happening increases. It's all about response time. This can have fatal consequences if you are slightly careless. In giant slalom and slalom the speed is lower and the skis are shorter. Falls happen there too, but they are not that serious. When you get air with us, you need a net to stop you.”

The FIS tries to organize an equal number of races in the technical and speed disciplines. An illusion? “No, not that, but it's just difficult to get through three speed races in one race weekend. For me, there can definitely be more technical races, but the bottom line is that only the best 3 results per discipline should count. Then you would save yourself a lot of discussions.”

This is your 15th year coming to Kitzbühel. What has changed since their debut in 2010? “It's my 14th year, in 2020 I injured my knee the day before the first training session. But back to the question: There is now a certain routine involved. Only: I'm still particularly nervous before the first training session. I stand in the starting house, look down and have to overcome myself again. Only after a few bends does the familiar feeling come back.”

Are you ready for the next coup? “I'm happy with how things are going at the moment, how good my form is. But I'm not yet at the maximum to push the limit to the last point. Let’s see if I can do that on Friday and Saturday.” “He’s number 4 in an absolute world sport, but we’re just small fish compared to that.” dominik paris Last question: Jannik Sinner recently came out as a big Paris fan... “I read about it. All I can say is that the Jannik is a cool sock. He's number 4 in an absolute world sport, but we're just small fish compared to that. Where he moves is a completely different world than us skiers. What he does is phenomenal. “That really impresses me.”

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Dominik Paris, Kitzbühel and the search for the limit

Dominik Paris has competed in 37 races in Kitzbühel since he first started on the Streif in 2010. The 34-year-old has long been one of the superstars in skiing. A lot has changed since the beginning of Paris, but one thing hasn't: the greed for ever new successes

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