Shongou’s alpine skiing Simon Jocher begins World Cup season in Lake Louise

Away from home overseas Simon Jocher made his World Cup debut. This is an important season for Shongouar, which should culminate in Beijing.

shongou – It’s getting serious: things really started for Simon Zocher (SC Garmish) on Monday. The Olympic season 2021/22 begins in Lake Louise (Canada), with the first training run at the start of the World Cup in the speed disciplines. From Friday to Sunday the program consists of two downhill runs and a Super-G. Although Olympic qualification is definitely on his mind from the first race, Schongauer, 26, tries. To stop thoughts about it as much as possible.

Alpine skiing: Jocher and Speed ​​team spend two weeks preparing for Copper Mountain

Jocher and the World Cup Speed ​​team spent the last two weeks at Copper Mountain (Colorado). “Training conditions were very good, even though this year it was a much shorter winter than usual,” says Jocher. A few days of training almost felt like spring skiing. Still, the two giant slalom training sessions and several speed units were of the highest quality and the Shongou native feels well prepared. “I’m fit and feel good on my skis,” he says. In training, Super-G is still his strong discipline, but he’s getting better and better on the downhill as well. The upcoming Winter World Cup is Jocher’s second season among speed professionals. Two North American races in Lake Louise and Beaver Creek (Colorado), which were not part of the program in 2020/21, and the classic three courses in Wengen (Switzerland) that the 25-year-old is still missing. Repertoire – that’s what the newcomer is again today.

Alpine skiing: Jocher starts a race for the North America Cup at Lake Louise in 2017

Nevertheless, he has lost his chick status in the team. “You see a difference compared to last year,” says Jocher, who ranked the newcomer in need of help from 16th in the Super-G onwards and fifth in the combination at the World Championships in Cortina (Italy). lost. The truth is that established people give him little help and advice. “After all, I’m no longer a beat behind the ears, but a common thread now,” he says with a laugh. Nevertheless, of course questions are still allowed. The slopes of Lake Lewis are not entirely new to Jocher. “I went there in 2017 for the Nor-Am race.” (The North America Cup is a racing series in the United States and Canada similar to the European Cup races here; editor’s note). At that time, the game soldier was able to know the route and knew that the topography was not necessarily what he liked. “It is very different from Bormio or Garmisch-Partenkirchen; very flat, very sharp and requires a lot of sensitivity.” According to Jocher’s assessment, Beaver Creek, where two Super-Gs and a descent will occur from November 30 to December 5, With its crisp steep slopes, it should suit that better.” But I’ve never been there. Who knows what it’s like when I’m standing on a really steep slope.”

Alpine skiing: Young skier Max Burkhart had a serious fall in Lake Lewis in 2017 and later died

In Lake Louise, Jocher is concerned not only with the type of route. In the Knorr-Am race in December 2017, young German driver Max Burkhart (SCP) had a serious fall and later died of his injuries. “We were never on a team because Max is four years younger than me, but I knew him from training in the weight room and it affected us all a lot. I still have to think about him,” admits Jocher. Although he is professional enough to separate the events of that time and his runs today, the memory still exists. For speed athletes, serious falls or hiding bad experiences are always part of their daily lives. Being able to focus on you, your body, and your skiing technique is one of your most important skills.

Alpine skiing: Jocher’s big dream is to make his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022

It also helps when it comes to big goals and dreams. Jocher’s goal and dream is definitely the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing (China) in 2022. But he has to hide this too. “Because if I go into the beginning with the thought ‘I have to qualify’, I just block myself.” Although the team may already feel that every training run is done with a little too much gas and pressure, Jocher doesn’t want to let himself get nervous, just watch from race to race and do his best every time. A strategy that propelled him to a lofty World Cup goal last year. Katherine Ebenhoch