Lena Dürr before the slalom at the Olympics: "Desire and joy to go down"

Created: 2/8/2022Updated: 2/8/2022 11:33 AM

By: Thomas Jensen

The German ski racer Lena Dürr is considered a medal contender at the Winter Games in Beijing.

© Expa/Jfk/APA/dpa

Munich skier Dürr is stronger than ever this winter.

Before the slalom at the Olympics in Beijing, she explains her strong form in an interview.

Munich

– Better late than never: Few would have expected it before the season, but now Lena Dürr is one of the German Alpine team's greatest hopes for a medal.

After rather disappointing years, the knot burst for the Munich native who started for SV Germering this winter.

In the Olympic slalom on Wednesday morning, the first individual medal in major events is possible for the 30-year-old.

Before leaving for China, she spoke to our newspaper.

Three third places, just two non-top 10 finishes this season – were your pre-season goals that high?

I'm not the placement type who says I want to get this or that place.

Rather, I want to make sure that I ski well and that I have my seven things together.

Unfortunately, in the last few years I've always been below my level and didn't present myself as I could have.

That's why my primary goal is to get the performance in the race that I consistently bring in training and then I usually get a good result.

Is there a key reason why it clicked this season?

(Thinks) Mhh, not really.

It's a constant process, you never stop working.

I changed things up a bit in fitness training in the summer.

I have a new service man who is really fun to work with and with whom I work really well.

And the material is great too.

But it's not an explicit thing, I think it just fits together in many areas.

"The connection is there": Lena Dürr in an interview with our newspaper.

© imago

But after three podium finishes, does it feel different than before?

I feel differently at the start than in Schladming, for example (last slalom before the Olympics, editor's note).

I don't know that I've had so much desire and joy to drive down the last few years.

Just having that freedom and knowing what to do.

That has been missing in recent years.

So above all self-confidence?

I agree.

And that comes from good training and the certainty that the material is perfectly matched to the conditions.

Then I can step on the gas and ski as freely as I am doing right now.

Does the 19/20 season, when you were not included in the squad, still play a role in your development?

Yes, I still live from that.

During this time I was able to learn a lot.

At the time, it was very incomprehensible to me how that happened, but afterwards I met people who were important to me in the summer of 2019 and found out important things.

I had to prepare my skis myself, and you deal with the whole subject of material in a different way.

I'm still thinking about that.

Was the decision to continue easy?

Yes.

That was clear to me from the start.

I don't let other people slow me down that easily.

For me it was more like “now more than ever”.

No matter how things are going, you can't be taken away from you this season.

With what attitude do you start?

I just go there more relaxed.

I have to say that I'm even more excited and want to start than I was in PyeongChang, simply because my starting position is better.

I don't see it as pressure or stress to have to show something again.

It's about being able to show what I can do.

Will the Olympic experience from four years ago be an advantage for you?

I think so.

I know what's going on around there and that all processes are a bit more complicated.

Even if it is of course very strict now with Corona, but we are already used to that from the World Cups.

It will probably happen to a different degree over there, but everyone has to deal with it anyway.

Is it all about blocking out the stress?

I don't even know if it's stress, but it's definitely not that classic Olympic feeling that you know or would wish for to watch other sports or see anything about the country and its people, that's definitely not.

In the end we are there to ski down this slope in the best possible way, so I don't think it all stresses me that much.

Regarding the medals: The big favorites for gold and silver are Mikaele Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova – even if you came closer to them.

Despite the dominance of the series winners, the field seems to have moved even closer together...

Definitely.

We're getting closer to both of them.

So let's see, it will be interesting.

The connection is definitely closer.

But what is admirable: No matter the conditions, Mikaela and Petra always call for their performance.

That's why they're probably hard to crack.

Interview: Thomas Jensen