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Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova will follow her diminished World Cup schedule this season, making it unlikely she’ll change into a risk to Mikaela Shiffrin’s bid for the general title.
Initially a slalom specialist, Vlhova turned the primary total champion from Slovakia after beginning in all 31 races final season. However she has been sitting out the downhill and super-G occasions to date this season, whereas additionally skipping a parallel occasion in Austria, which she received final 12 months.
“That is our plan, and we’ll maintain (it) like this,” Vlhova stated in a video convention name Monday, including she deliberate to compete in just one or two velocity races in January within the buildup to the Beijing Olympics.
Vlhova stated she eyed a begin within the super-G in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee on Jan. 16 and was contemplating a visit to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for Jan. 29-30 velocity races, the final World Cup occasions earlier than the Olympics.
“We wish to do some velocity as effectively,” Vlhova stated. “We wish to do one thing, however not all the pieces.”
The Slovakian trails Shiffrin by 185 factors in third place within the total World Cup standings. Sofia Goggia is second, 90 factors behind Shiffrin, placing the Italian velocity specialist among the many American’s principal challengers for the crystal globe. Shiffrin received the general title thrice in row from 2017-19.
Vlhova began to work with a brand new coach, Mauro Pini, earlier than the season they usually determined to desert the all-race technique that had helped Vlhova win the general title, choosing a much less gruelling schedule in an Olympic 12 months.
Having skipped the occasions in Lake Louise and St. Moritz during the last two weeks, Vlhova will probably be sitting out a 3rd straight World Cup cease with velocity races in Val d’Isère this weekend, earlier than returning to the circuit for 2 big slaloms in one other French resort, Courchevel, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Now’s extra free for myself and for my crew,” stated Vlhova, who stayed in the USA for 10 extra days to coach at Copper Mountain after the Nov. 27-28 races in Killington.
“It was good for coaching as a result of final 12 months I didn’t have a lot time to do coaching. It was racing or journey time every day and we hadn’t time to do some coaching.”
Making an attempt to change into the primary Slovakian skier to win an Olympic medal, Vlhova did plan to enter velocity occasions in Beijing. 4 years in the past, she began in 5 particular person occasions in Pyeongchang however didn’t make it on the rostrum.
“We’ve got completed some super-G and downhill coaching, we’re additionally focusing (on) velocity,” stated Vlhova, including that 80% of her coaching quantity included slalom and GS.
Vlhova will proceed her GS preparations within the Italian resort of Sestriere for 4 days earlier than touring to Courchevel on Sunday.
“I really feel good, I’m sturdy,” she stated. “We see on the races the place I’m.”
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Extra AP snowboarding: https://apnews.com/hub/snowboarding and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Eric Willemsen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eWilmedia
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