“That would hurt my heart.”

Tschurtschenthaler was a constant in the Italian women's slalom team, which was hungry for success, last season and the season before last. Always consistent in the European Cup, the 24-year-old earned the chance to prove herself in the World Cup in 2020. In Kranjska Gora she missed the second round by a hair's breadth. Despite this strong performance, Tschurtschenthaler did not receive any further World Cup appearances last winter. Even the woman from Sesto doesn't know why SportNews talks about the exclusion from the squad, the last, turbulent season and their uncertain future.

Vera Tschurtschenthaler, when did you find out that you were no longer part of the national team and how did you react? “I was in constant contact with my national team coach in April. He always kept me updated, so I knew what it looked like. That was two or three weeks before FISI announced the teams. Nevertheless, I hoped until the end that the tide would turn again. When it was actually confirmed, there was of course disappointment.”

What ultimately tipped the scales against you? “This year the FISI has decided that the athletes in the B squad must be 20 or younger. That's why I should have been included in the World Cup team. My coach also advocated for this, but in the end the association leadership decided against it.”

Vera Tschurtschenthaler speaks openly about her exclusion from the squad. © Private

Do you think the decision is justified? “The results in the European Cup simply weren’t right. There were also other factors that played a role that I had no influence on. For example, all the European Cup races took place within a short period of time when I was out of shape. I also didn't get a chance to compete in the World Cup. But I don't want to say that the decision is unfair. Vivien Insam, for example, would have had priority, but was also not taken into account.”

What didn't work last season? “There were a few stupid coincidences. In the first two races in Ahrntal I started in the first and second groups. The two slaloms weren't excellent, but they weren't catastrophic either. In Vaujany the slope was completely icy. I had a terrible setup, literally slipped and was eliminated twice. After these races I started with start number 50, which was mentally quite demanding. I also put pressure on myself and didn't come back with this. “In the last few months I have driven well, won FIS races and took second place at the Italian Championships.”

Do you already have a plan for what happens next? “No, unfortunately I can’t say much about that. I went on vacation and now I'm not stressing myself out. It's time to switch off, at some point I'll make a decision. When the exclusion was official, I wanted to give up everything. On the other hand, I really enjoy this sport. And because I saw at the end of last season that it was my turn to do it, it would hurt my heart to draw a line in the sand now.”

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“That would hurt my heart.”

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