Winter Olympics news - Petra Vlhova to make Olympics priority, will skip some World Cup races

ByPete Sharland

Published 22/10/2021 at 08:49 GMT

Speaking ahead of the first race of the new season the overall champion has revealed that she will miss races this season in order to make sure that she is in the best possible condition ahead of the Olympics next year. Vlhova will be bidding to become the first Slovakian to ever win an Olympic medal.

Defending World Cup Overall Champion Petra Vlhova has said that she will skip races this season in order to be at her best for the Olympic Games in Beijing, which she says are her priority.

Vlhova, 26, was the only racer to start all 31 races last season and her consistency allowed her to take home the overall title for the first time in her career, beating out Lara Gut-Behrami by 160 points.

However this season the Slovakian, who has yet to medal at the Olympics, has said this year she will miss World Cup races to focus on Beijing.

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She also said that the majority of her races will be slalom and giant slalom, adding in speed races if possible but they won’t be the priority.

“We will go for more quality than quantity,” Vlhova told the AP on Thursday.

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“We will go everywhere but we will decide before the race if we go there for speed or if we will stay more focused on GS and slalom,” she said. “Of course, I like speed and I like to race downhill and super-G, but it is going to be more GS and slalom.”

This season Vlhova, who will be aiming to become the first Slovakian to ever medal at an Olympics, will be coached by Gut-Behrami’s former coach Mauro Pini.

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She insisted that she doesn’t feel under pressure and that as usual she won’t be the one saying much during the season, preferring to stick to skiing.

Maybe last season the goal was the overall, this year the main goal is going to be the Olympic Games.

"I don’t feel any pressure. I try to focus on my skiing, nothing more. I try to stay calm and quiet."

Vlhova will race the first weekend of the season on Saturday in Solden where she will compete in the giant slalom.

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