Austrian skiing sensation Gregor Schlierenzauer is back! After a record-breaking season, the 19-year-old injured his knee in training over the summer. But Schlieri celebrated his comeback in style with victories in Zakopane, Poland, and in Klingenthal, Germany. We caught up with Schlieri in Biarritz, France, to check on his preparations for the new season and find out exactly why he is afraid of Manuel Fettner.
How’s your right knee?
Gregor Schlierenzauer: I’m very happy with how it has healed. I still feel a pinch or two from time to time, but that’s completely normal. It no longer affects my jumping.
The injury doesn't appear to have unduly affected your preparations. Are you surprised that you've already got two wins under your belt?
GS: Winning on my comeback in Zakopane surprised me a lot, yes. After my injury, I was naturally a bit nervous: I didn’t know where I stood and whether I had my rhythm again. The victory was, of course, a major boost to my self-confidence and has really spurred me on. But I must still get stronger before the season starts. Since the accident, I’ve been mainly working on my balance and stabilisation. That’s why I was late starting strength this year.
You’ve been trying to find the right fine-tuning over the summer. What exactly have you been focusing on?
GS: Theoretically, the fine-tuning involves things like testing materials, the feeling for flying, the downhill position and the telemark. There won’t be much change with the material, though, because it was great last winter. But you should always work on your telemark and the downhill position; they’re both sciences in themselves.
The Winter Olympics take place in Whistler, Canada, next year. Having won both dress rehearsals on the same hill, you must be confident about your chances?
GS: It definitely won’t be easy! Firstly, I want to qualify for the Games. Our team is very balanced, nobody is guaranteed a place. Winning Olympic gold is my childhood dream but in order to fulfill it, everything has to fall into place. Of course, it’s a great feeling to know that I’ve already won on that hill, but I’m not going to put my mortgage on it. The cards are dealt differently every year. You can’t rely on what was in the past.
Speaking of cards, you ski jumpers don’t just compete on the hills. Whose the most deadly card shark at the poker table?
GS: Manuel Fettner. He’s really dangerous. And you always have to watch out for Wolfgang Loitzl. I play aggressively. Unfortunately, I overdo it a bit sometimes because I want to clean up the table fast.
And Gerhard Berger was also a bit over-ambitious at Heinz Kinigadner’s Fullgas event. You were actually supposed to share a car with him...?
GS: Gerhard took the car out first and really drove it hard. Pretty soon the exhaust pipe started to spout smoke and flames, and then it completely died. So I didn’t get to driver the NASCAR.
Was it technical or human error?
GS: Well, there are a lot of different opinions on that. Gerhard, of course, has his own version of what happened…
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