Silvia Bertagna: “I want to continue living my dream in Sochi”

Until recently, the name Silvia Bertagna was only really known to freestyle insiders. That changed suddenly on Sunday: with third place in Gstaad, the ski acrobat catapulted herself into the limelight. In doing so, she not only secured the greatest success in her first real World Cup season, but also secured her ticket to Sochi 2014. In the following interview, Silvia Bertagna talks about the moment that will have a decisive impact on her sporting career.

What was going through your mind the evening after the competition in Gstaad? “I was just overjoyed. After narrowly missing out on making it to the finals twice recently, I really wanted to make it this time. I would never have thought that it would be enough for a podium finish in the end.”

At the age of 27, you are already old news. How did you decide on the slopestyle course and not the normal ski slope?

“Even at 27, I still feel like a young girl. (laughs) It's actually true that I started slopestyle very late. That's why I don't really know where exactly my performance limit is. The cool thing about this sport is simply the varied program between tricks and jumps. Alpine skiing can’t keep up with that.”

When did you discover your passion for freestyle sports?

“It developed somewhat by chance. I spent a lot of time out in the snow with friends and just tried to make my performance as spectacular as possible. It was only when slopestyle was included in the Olympic program that I and my support team began to seriously train and prepare for competitions. A big thank you goes to the coaches, they were the ones who pushed me to this achievement.”

How much time do you invest in training today?

“During the breaks from competition, I’m on skis about three times a week. I would love to do my jumps every day, but I have to finance this passion as a sporting goods saleswoman in my mother's shop in Ortisei. Unfortunately, as freestylers we don't have the media presence that the “Alpines” enjoy. Luckily there are some loyal sponsors who help us.”

At the Olympics you will also be in the spotlight. “That’s right, a very big wish has come true with the qualification. I'm really looking forward to Sochi. There I will try to just do my best and enjoy every moment. But let's be honest: Even without the Olympics, I'm really living a dream. I can do what I like most most of the time. Namely, standing on skis.”

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Silvia Bertagna: “I want to continue living my dream in Sochi”

Silvia Bertagna wrote Italian sports history at the weekend. For the first time, a local athlete made it onto the podium in the Slopestyle World Cup. The 27-year-old late starter from Val Gardena is now even allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.

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