Tina Weirather on Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova

Girlfriends? No, Petra Vlhova (Svk) and Mikaela Shiffrin (Ö) will hardly do that anymore. At least not in the ski circus. «I would like to have her as a friend. But that is not possible. Because we want to win everything, »says Vlhova. Her big slalom opponent has a similar opinion. After the espionage zoff and the second run from Flachau, when Shiffrins Coach set an anti-Vlhova course (so the accusation), the fronts between the high-flyers are hardened anyway.

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For most drivers, however, friendships are not a taboo. On the contrary. Liechtensteiner Tina Weirather (28) was traveling alone at the beginning of her career – unwanted, because no compatriot reached her level. “That killed me,” she recalls. This is exactly why Weirather, who was only 20, knocked on Swiss Ski. She wanted to join the Swiss team. It worked. “If it hadn’t worked, I would have resigned a long time ago.” Bernese, for example, Joana Hahlen (27) is a close friend even after the season and Weirather even spends her holidays with the Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel (27).

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“The decisive factor is how you deal with the girls”

Italian downhill Olympic champion Sofia Goggia (27) has many friends in the Austrian team. She says: «It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a private team or in an association. What matters is how you deal with other girls. »But isn’t the isolation exactly a reason for Vlhova’s and Shiffrin’s strength? After all, the last seven overall World Cup winners (Maze, Veith, Gut-Behrami and Shiffrin) were traveling alone. Weirather replies: «The Norwegians have always had a great team spirit. And Aksel Svindal showed how you can be top without a private team. He also got the strength for his great career in friendship with others. That impressed me. »

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Weirather respects the path of Vlhova and Shifffrin. And yet she would have nothing against more contact. Shiffrin is nice, but also extremely isolated. «I’ve never seen Mikaela hanging out with another driver. Too bad. We’re opponents on the slopes, but it’s great to have others the rest of the time. In any case, I live from the fact that we are a team! »

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