Vlhova says she's ready to be 'the best' and outdo Shiffrin

YANQING - A  newly confident Petra Vlhova (SVK) is ready to reverse years of frustration and turn her recent world cup dominance into Olympic Games glory.

The six-time world championship medallist already boasts a bulging trophy cabinet, but up against Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) she has often had to settle for second best on the biggest stages.

Not anymore, says the skier, who secured the 2021/22 overall slalom world cup title on 11 January, more than two months before the end of the season.

"The reason is I am now 100% mentally balanced," Vlhova said. "That was the only thing missing for me before to become really the best.”

"The season until now has been going very well for me, so I am in a very good mental mood and physical shape as well, and fully focused for the Olympic competitions. I feel really strong."

It is an ominous statement for her competitors, given the skier has taken herself to another level this season, winning five of seven world cup slalom races.

The recruitment of famed coach Mauro Pini of Switzerland in the off-season last year has been key.

"He created a very good atmosphere, allowing the team to work," Vlhova said of the man who previously coached double Olympic gold-medal winner Tina Maze (SLO) and two-time world champion Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI).

"Everybody in the team knows what to do and the co-operation of all the people is great. Our communication in the entire team is very fruitful and there is a lot of fun among us. This is like when a complex puzzle is completed."

In the 2018/19 season, Vlhova finished second to Shiffrin in three of the six world cup standings. Both aged 26, she has just one world championship win to Shiffrin’s six and a best Olympic finish of fifth, compared with Shiffrin’s two Olympic gold and one silver medal. But Vlhova is ready to change the narrative, buoyed by Pini’s obvious impact and the fact she finished last season as the overall world cup champion.

She is hoping to become Slovakia's first Olympic medallist in Alpine skiing.

"For a long time Mikaela was better than me," Vlhova said. "However, in the last seasons I showed clearly I am able to beat her often. We respect each other because we both know very well how difficult it is to become the best in the world."

Article courtesy of Olympic Information Service