Ski Racing - February 8, 2010

Maria Riesch’s Olympic dreams began when she watched three Germans — Katja Seizinger, Martina Ertl and Hilde Gerg — land on the combined podium in Nagano.

The Olympic Winter Games mean something different for every athlete and the fire of everyone’s Olympic dreams sparks at a different time for various reasons. But the common thread among all racers gearing up to compete in Vancouver is that the Games represent a chance to shine like they never have before.

“The Games really show the power of sport,” says Canada’s Emily Brydon. “It’s one of the most amazing events in the world, bringing so many hundreds of athletes together from so many different cultures, from so many different aspects of life just for the true passion of competition and goals and dreams. It’s an honor to be part of that movement and to have it in your country. The energy there is really something special and unique.” Swiss racer Martina Schild says she not only wants to be part of that energy (and to earn a medal, which is the quintessential evidence of it) but also wants to keep her family’s line of trophies coming. The Olympic Winter Games hold a unique meaning for her because her grandmother Hedy Schlunegger won a downhill medal in the 1948 Games in St. Moritz.

“The dream starts in school time,” Schild says. “My grandmother won a medal, so that’s why it’s really special. It’s so big. It’s a dream from everyone. It’s only every fourth year so then you really go for that. You have to make it this year or wait again four years.” The fire of Maria Riesch’s dreams was sparked when she watched the Nagano Games in 1998 and the entire combined podium was filled with Germans: Katja Seizinger with gold, Martina Ertl silver and Hilde Gerg bronze.

“I know this picture,” says Riesch. “It was snowing hard and three girls
with the zebra suits were on the podium having the medals and I was
like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’ At that time skiing was really popular and
big in Germany and at the time when my career developed it went down
a little bit.”
When reminded that her success is bringing ski racing back to her coun-
try’s attention, Riesch says, “I hope so.”
Vancouver will be Riesch’s first Olympic Winter Games, as her hopes
were crushed just before the Torino 2006 Games when she crashed in
Aspen, tearing ligaments in her knee that cost her months of recovery.
This time around, she says she is in a good position — especially in light
of her recent success in giant slalom — to medal in at least one of five
events, and that the pressure is not as much on her as it is on her friend
Lindsey Vonn.

“I’m in a good role for medals but not the top favorite like Lindsey is,” Riesch says. “And maybe this is a little bit of an advantage for me, because she’s winning every single race now and of course the pressure is huge. She has self-confidence because she’s winning all the races but there’s still lots of pressure, so maybe that’s an advantage for me. I think I have good chances and the important thing is I have several chances.” Vonn says her Olympic dreams began when she met Picabo Street, a medalist in the 1998 (super G gold) and 1994 (silver in downhill) Games. As for the pressure going into Vancouver, Vonn says, “I’ve definitely got some backup plans in case I get too nervous.” “For me, it’s the mental approach that matters — whether I can attack or not,” she says. “If I get too nervous, I’ll be more on the defensive. I need to be more offensive ... and that’s what it will come down to for me in Whistler.”