"Winning a downhill would make me one of the only athletes to have won in all disciplines," recalls the French N.1 who hopes to join in this very closed circle seven women (the Americans Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, the Swedes Anja Paerson and Pernilla Wiberg, the Croatian Janica Kostelic, the Slovenian Tina Maze and the Austrian Petra Kronberger) and five men (the Luxembourger Marc Girardelli, Pirmin Zurbriggen of Switzerland, Bode Miller of the United States, Günther Mader of Austria and Kjetil-André Aamodt of Norway.

QUESTION: Some time ago you announced that you were turning to downhill at the expense of slalom. Tell us about this conversion...

ANSWER: "I have always loved downhill, but I have always abandoned it in favor of slalom, which has been one of my favorite disciplines. It has always been the (technical) disciplines that I have favored to score the most points (in the World Cup), given my goals in the past and until recently, with the World Championships at home. Now that these goals are behind me, I would like to devote the end of my career to trying to win a downhill, to favor the queen discipline."

Q: What does this involve?

A: "First of all, you have to establish a good strategy. Downhill is a sport of analysis. We have to develop a pair of competitive skis, we work a lot on skiing. Then, you have to work on the technical aspect, take time to train in these disciplines, become more and more competitive, and take bearings. Physically, you have to be ready for that, potentially gain a little weight, and prepare the body not to be explosive but rather powerful."

Alexis Pinturault, 2023 Alpine combined world champion, during a photo shoot on March 23, 2023 in Paris © JOEL SAGET / AFP

Q: What makes you dream downhill?

A: "It's the feelings. The feeling of speed, jumps, where you feel that you are flying. And at the same time, it's an environment where I've always trained very little, so it's a new white circus, a new environment that I want to explore. There is envy. There are doubts, of course, because I can have doubts about my ability to perform in this discipline. Especially since it involves giving up slalom, while it is a discipline where I know what I have, what I have done. It is also an interesting challenge. Winning a downhill would make me one of the only athletes to have won in all disciplines, even the parallel, it would be a special, singular performance, which would suit me well."

Q: Are you leaving out the slalom completely?

A: "I'm going to do these three disciplines (giant, super-G, downhill). I'll probably give up the slalom. I'm not 100% sure. It's possible that I will do one or two races in the season, maybe even more if the calendar allows it."

Q: With the retirement of Johan Clarey and Tessa Worley, is there now a low point in the France team?

A: "Johan Clarey and Tessa Worley are big names in skiing. It's a page that is turning, it's painful, but we can also say a big thank you. They brought a lot to skiing. On the other hand, there is a huge amount of work to be done, especially among women, to recreate a dynamic. There is a hole. Tessa stops, but also Coralie Frasse Sombet and Nastasia Noens. These three athletes are in the Top 30 in the world. By leaving, they take away all the possibilities of Top 10 in the World Cup in the near future. It's going to be a hole to fill. It shows how important the construction site is. The French Ski Federation will have to find solutions to support young girls in the best way upwards."

Q: You are 32 years old, did the idea of retirement cross your mind?

A: "Not especially. I'll never go to 42 like Jo (Clarey) did (laughs), but I think I can have the perspective of 35, 36, at least the 2026 Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo is a destination that inspires me."

Interview by Rémi BOUVERESSE

© 2023 AFP