Wendy Holdener manages two outstanding runs in the slalom in Kranjska Gora. But it was just not enough for the Swabian to win. After the race, she reveals: "My body was very stressed this weekend, which saps my energy."
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Wendy Holdener narrowly misses out on her third World Cup victory in the slalom.
- In an interview after the race, she praises winner Zrinka Ljutic and makes people sit up and take notice.
- Holdener reveals that she contested the slalom after a difficult night with poor sleep and little energy.
- Would she have skied to victory under normal circumstances?
Wendy Holdener races across the finish line of the slalom in Kranjska Gora with a 1.03 second lead as the second-to-last skier. After an outstanding second run, everything was pointing towards the Swiss athlete's third World Cup victory in the slalom, especially as Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic, who started last, went into the race with no lead over the Swiss athlete.
But it was not to be. Ljutic also conjures up a sensational run in the snow and is crowned the winner with a lead of sixteen hundredths. "Zrinka skied extremely well, it was exciting," applauds Holdener after the end of the race, but also admits: "When I saw the time, it was a huge relief, I thought it might be enough for the win."
No energy, no problem?
Then the woman from Schwyz causes astonishment with another statement. As Holdener hints, she wasn't actually really fit on Sunday. "I wasn't feeling so good today. My body was under a lot of stress this weekend, which saps my energy. I can't recover so well from time to time, I didn't sleep well."
The 31-year-old, who has been going through a difficult time since the death of her brother last year, had to manage her energy on Sunday. "That's a shame. Knowing all that, I have to say: it's all okay, I fought, I took risks and I have no regrets."
This is Holdener's second podium finish of the season after 2nd place in Killington and the 53rd overall in the World Cup. The question remains, how strong would Holdener have skied with a full tank? A thought that gives hope for the Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach in February.
And by then, perhaps the sleep problems will have been resolved. "It just feels good to get a result like this. Then I can also recover a little better," says Holdener. "I'll take it with me and keep working."
