So far, either Petra Vlhova (right) or Mikaela Shiffrin (left) have been at the top in the slalom. © APA/afp / VESA MOILANEN

Vlhova coach challenges the competition: “They are too good”

Apart from Mikaela Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova is outpacing everyone this winter. Her coach sees a problem with her competitors that affects the entire field of drivers.

25 December 2023

From: do

There have already been four slalom races for women this season - there will be eleven in total. So far, only two athletes have shared the top spot on the podium: Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova, who each won two races. Together they are the undisputed world leaders in the technical discipline and often compete against each other for victory. The rest of the slalom skiers lag far behind the duo and third place behind the two ski powers is considered the maximum. Now Vlhova coach Mauro Pini reported one blickerinterview and sees the root of all evil in the trainers of the latecomers.

“It can’t be the case that in the last seven or eight years almost only Petra and Mikaela have won. In my opinion, many coaches don't push their athletes enough - they are too good, too nice. There is still a lot of room for improvement. “You can and should trust the female drivers more,” said Pini. It is up to the coaching team to guarantee the right parameters and the right attitude in order to get as much as possible out of their protégés. According to Pini, more female athletes should compete for first place, which is simply not a reality at the moment.

Vlhova won the last slalom in Courchevel. © APA/afp / JEFF PACHOUD

“Many are overjoyed when they come third and are also very happy with placements between fourth and sixth. This may be fine in individual cases, everyone has a different story. “But the goal should be to get to the top,” Pini continued. So far, no female runner has joined the top two riders. The third-placed team was always astronomically behind the respective winner. In Courchevel at the weekend, for example, the Austrian Katharinarupp ended up on the podium, 2,06 seconds behind.

Wendy Holdener, Lena Dürr, Sara Hector and Co. will have their next chance on December 29th in Lienz, where the fifth slalom of this winter is taking place.