Lindsey Kildow describes the view from the top of the world

By Published On: January 18th, 2005Comments Off on Lindsey Kildow describes the view from the top of the world

Lindsey Kildow describes the view from the top of the worldLindsey Kildow has taken the World Cup by storm this year, winning her first first race at Lake Louise in early December, and raking in podiums at St. Moritz, Santa Caterina and Cortina. The 2004 Sprint/Ski Racing Junior of the Year, Kildow has been on this magazine’s radar ever since her breakout performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. Just 20 years old, she is already displaying the poise and consistency of a veteran. Here are notes from a recent conference call she shared with reporters, including Ski Racing’s Bill McCollom.

Q: In regards to your success, have you kept to your same routines all winter?
A:Yes, I’ve been working out with a conditioner. I have a goal for every race. I stick to my plan and try to relax.

Q: Are you doing anything with sports psychology?
A:I meditate at night and there are things I do in the start to help me relax, like focus on key words for the race.

Q: Have you spoken with older athletes such as Picabo Street or Hilary Lindh about your ski racing?
A: They’ve helped a lot with figuring out a game plan what it takes to be a great skier. Hilary came to a development camp when I was younger and gave me some tips hands-on tips, like what to do in the start. Picabo has been more helpful on the mental aspects. Both have been very influential.

Q: How have you made the transition to speed after growing up a technical skier?
A: My focus right now is on speed, but I’ve been training slalom and GS, and my GS is pretty good right now. That will change to a four-event focus soon. You need four events in order to be a contender for the World Cup (overall). I raced some speed whey I was younger and always did well. Like at NorAms I was top three in most races. It was a fairly easy transition. I have a natural confidence in it, as I’ve always had success in it.

Q: Does your consistency this year give you confidence?
A: Knowing I’m a top contender gives me confidence in every event. Only small mistakes have kept me from winning more.

Q: Is your success in speed reliant on your technical background?
A: You need a technical background. It’s a dynamic sport and you need to be clean and precise, and that gives me confidence as well. Speed really doesn’t help with the technical events, which need repetition and training. You get to so much open space in speed, it’s hard to adjust to the change in timing. You just have to keep training.

Q: What are your goals for Bormio World Championships?
A:Top three in downhill or super G and who knows in the combined.

Q: How have your goals changed this season, given your success?
A: My goals have changed a lot since the start. I’ve been going for the overall downhill and super G titles, but my mistake in the last Cortina downhill put me in a different point in the downhill (standings). Going into the season I didn’t have those expectations.

Q: Does being hard on yourself help or hinder your racing success?
A: I wouldn’t be where I am today if I wasn’t hard on myself, but you can be too hard sometimes. I’ve learned when to be hard and when not to. It was a good thing at Cortina, because I learned from it (mistakes).

Q: Has it been helpful to see Bode successful in all four events?
A: Bode is a really good role model. He’s proven that you can win in all four events. I’d like to be close to that in future years. It’s been cool to be an American and be a part of this team, and realize that this is something that I can do.

Q: What has been the most significant defining moment of the season?
A: The coolest part is how myself and the American team have taken over the speed events we’ve all done so well. I was interviewed by a top Austrian newspaper about this. We’re breaking in there and it’s never been done before. ORF (Austrian TV) came out today. It was the same kind of deal and it was huge for us. It’s cool to see so much interest. It’s not a distraction as long as it doesn’t get in the way of training or conditioning. I see it as an opportunity.

Q: How did you feel at Lake Louise when you won your first World Cup race?
A: It was a great moment to win and wear the read leader bib. People were completely surprised. The older girls were so surprised it was a cool feeling and an awesome experience.

Q: With your family moving to Vail to pursue your career when you were younger, was there any pressure on you to perform?
A: I took it for granted originally. I guess I didn’t appreciate all the sacrifice of my parents. But then I’ve realized all that they’ve done for me it’s come into perspective and humbled me. I think their divorce may have had something to do with all of this. I guess I didn’t thank them enough.

Q: Does rooming with Jonna Mendes help with your racing?
A: She helps me a lot. She’s a great person and a great friend. She keeps things light. In her course reports she always knows what I need to hear. She’s been struggling with her results lately, but she’s working her way back and had some good results in super G at Cortina. It will be disappointing if she doesn’t make the World Championship team, being a defending medalist, but she never gets down and that helps me.

Q: Is all the attention a burden, such as the way Bode feels, or do you thrive on the attention like Picabo?
A: I’m more like Picabo. I don’t get as much attention as Bode, being a woman, and the men get most of the attention, but I like it a lot. I think the media is a big asset.

Q: Did you have any feeling that this season would be a breakthrough season?
A: I know I was skiing fast this summer and I knew it would be good, but the biggest surprise was that it has turned out so well. It’s been a progression working hard with a physical trainer, then I went to Chile to train with the speed team for the first time. This was a major factor, because when the season started I was already comfortable with speed.

Q: What changes have you seen in your life as a result of this season’s success?
A: People now notice me. The other day at the border patrol, I couldn’t find my passport and when I told them who I was, they recognized my name and let me through. It’s really cool that people recognize me.

Q: How are you preparing for the pressure of the World Championships?
A: I’ve been counting down on my conditioning plan. I know what is coming and look ahead so I can be relaxed and 110% prepared for it when it comes.

Q: What do you do in the seconds before you start a race?
A: I follow my routine. When I get to the start I go through the race in my head. Then I get a course report from the coaches, and start to warm up my body. The technicians put me in my skis with about eight minutes to go and then I go over the course one more time. When I’m in the gate I do my relaxation thing to bring down the adrenaline and go over last minute goals, like being strong or to push the line. When I kick out of
the start my brain shuts down. I don’t do any tunes they’re so distracting when I’m trying to focus.

Q: Do you think the women could run the courses at Kitzbuehel or Wengen?
A: The speeds are so fast, over 90 miles per hour at Wengen, but I think we could ski down. Kitzbuehel is so extremely rugged, so gnarly. Those guys are insane. Our course could be harder, more difficult, but racing Kitzbuehel is pushing it. It’s tough on the women’s tour. At St. Moritz when they had a big jump on the bottom, Wiberg and Kostelic hurt their knees, but I’d be interested if they did make more difficult courses.

Q: What did you mean when you said the older girls were surprised by your win at Lake Louise?
A: Goetschl looked at me like, ‘Hey, you were pretty fast.’ Dorfmeister was the same only more congratulatory, like, ‘Wow, who is this girl?’ After Cortina last year, they didn’t think I’d be in there consistently. They knew I was coming, but they didn’t know I’d be coming so fast. My relationship with Renate (Goetschl) is more stressed. We get along, but it’s more tense, because we’re competing for the red bib in two events. That’s not easy for her, but it works out in the end. She’s a nice person.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh