Raich to focus solely on tech this season

Benni Raich at the 2014 World Cup season opener in Soelden. GEPA

Benjamin Raich debuted at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail in 1999, and the 2015 event will be his ninth World Championships. The 36-year-old Austrian team veteran opened his season in Soelden with an impressive fourth place on a course that has never been his favorite, and he was very pleased with that. It bodes well for his big season goal: Vail-Beaver Creek 2015 in February!

How was your off-season training?

I’ve had very good preparation. My conditioning and fitness training went well. I have had no injuries. And my training on snow so far has been a bit limited but good.

What will be your racing focus?

This season I am concentrating on the tech events only, slalom and giant slalom. We can almost say, it is ‘back to the roots’ for me since I will not race any super G, downhill and super combined. Instead, I plan to be well prepared for each slalom and GS I enter.

Do you feel ready to fight with the top guys?

I am feeling good. I am having fun skiing. And I really think that with my experience, material, setup and technique, and since I have been able to set aside the back problems that were bothering me in recent years, I can be up there with the best.”

How about your season goals?

The World Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek 2015 are definitely my main goal. And that includes doing well in the World Cup to qualify for the Austrian team.

It is clear that, for me, the circle is closing. My first championships in 1999 were 16 years ago. But there is still one thing that I have not won at the World Championships: giant slalom. So that is my big goal and I have worked very hard for that.

Do you still remember the 1999 Worlds in Vail?

In 1999, I was very young. I remember we had good races and good training there. And I remember one funny event: I was not entitled to drive a car in the U.S. then but I’d borrowed a car from a colleague and ended up getting pulled over by the police for speeding. I was lucky and they only told me to slow down! That story gave a good laugh for everyone on the team though.

What will it be like for you to go back to Vail-Beaver Creek for the Worlds?

It will be a special feeling to go back there. It’s a place I am always happy to go to. We have often trained there. In 1997, it was the venue of one of my very first World Cup races. I like skiing there, and the snow. The Americans also make good steaks.

To win that one missing gold in GS, what do you need to do?

To beat Ted and everyone else that day, you need good material, you need to be in good shape, to have two good runs, and to be well prepared. You also need experience, and especially the right mindset. It all must come together. But I have trained hard and prepared well for that.

What is the importance of the dress rehearsal on Birds of Prey in December?

For sure that’s also important. It is a chance to test some things. But the World Championships are two months later, so it will be a different situation. The weather will likely be different. Title events are different. Doing well in December helps but there’s still enough time to get ready for the actual championships.

Release courtesy of the Organizing Committee of Vail-Beaver Creek 2015