Lasse Kjus enjoys another great comeback
By Patrick Lang

The thrilling Arlberg Kandahar races in Chamonix were certainly a turning point in the tough fight for the 2004 overall title. They were essentially marked by the comeback at the top of some of the main characters of the World Cup tour.
Stephan Eberharter, the defending overall champion, finally ended a long period of drought in Saturday’s downhill after recovering his health and his form. The Tyrolian suffered a bad flue for two months. Bode Miller clinched the A-K combined after an impressive slalom in which he scored his first slalom points this season despite crashing while crossing the finish line. Norway’s Lasse Kjus, 2nd in downhill and 3rd in the combined, became a sensational leader in the standings for the first time since capturing the overall title in March 1999 in Spain’s Sierra Nevada.

A great fight

These three prestigious champions, all multiple gold medals winners in recent winters, should be fighting until the end of the season for the big Crystal Cup against many other favourites as Austria’s slalom specialist Benjamin Raich, a strong 2nd in the combined, and his team-mate Hermann Maier. Finland’s Kalle Palander, a winner in giant slalom and in slalom or another Austrian, Hans Knauss, the only competitor able to reach the podium in three specialties this winter and Michael Walchhofer, leader in the downhill standings, are more than strong outsiders.
Never in the history of the sport, has the competition for the overall crown been so uncertain and disputed. Normally, only two or three skiers have the potential to grab it at the end of the season, yet this winter nobody was able to dominate the rest of the field as in the past.

Lasse Kjus, who celebrates his 33rd birthday this Wednesday, is the most unexpected guest in this list of world-class stars. The unpredictable Scandinavian is himself surprised by his strong comeback after four frustrating seasons. Last December, Kjus won his first race since March 1999 as he beat two of the all-time best specialists in a super-g in Val Gardena, Eberharter and Maier themselves!

A great emotion for Lasse Kjus

“It’s a great emotion for me to get back at the top in the overall standings after all these difficult years, I was not sure I could make it again,” he said after the slalom in Chamonix. “I’m really pleased by my form which is constantly improving since the season start. I’m solid in all specialties, even in the technical events. I was close to reach the giant slalom podium in Flachau last week but I know that I can also excel in this discipline,” he added.

“I’m paid back for all the hard work I invested in my training and my ski testing in the last six months. It has been a very hard time but I’m glad I decided to continue my career. I had some doubts last summer when I had to leave my friends and my great life at the seaside to get back on my skis. I was quite sad and I had to push myself very hard to go on. I’m happy to be here now – I dreamed of such a comeback.”

Five years ago Kjus, also nicknamed the “Elk” by his Austrian rivals, achieved an amazing season in capturing five medals in five events at the 1999 Ski Worlds in Vail before beating “The Herminator” himself in the overall World Cup standings. Health problems and lack of motivation prevented him to keep his level afterwards. He only shined during the last two medal events in Salt Lake City and St Moritz where he increased his collection of silver and bronze medals in downhill, giant slalom and combined.

Great life at sea

But an enjoyable life at the sea and the support of his staff helped him to overcome this negative period and fight back as strong as before.
“I think he skis as well as ever – he already impressed my at Soelden” admitted Maier last month in Val Gardena. “Nobody is as smooth and precise as Lasse – he is incredible,” commented Bode Miller at Flachau. “We all admire him – I don’t think to be still racing at his age after having won so much,” he added.

Even his closest friend on the circuit, Kjetil Aamodt, sidelined by an injury at an ankle since the season start in Soelden, is envious. “He is fantastic, he skis almost perfectly,” said the 1994 overall champion who gets some rest in Monte Carlo before starting a strong period of re-education. “He inspires me a lot – I want to come back too now! My break is finally not such a bad thing, it allows me to find back a stronger momentum,” Kjetil added. “I found out how much I like ski racing”.

It’s a series of coincidences which helped Kjus to find back his best shape after years of struggling. The apparently laid-back Norwegian is in fact a hard worker during the off-season when he moves on his beautiful property located on island situated above Stroemstad on the Swedish west coast. For years, he spent countless time repairing several old yellow houses used by former fishermen. He also moved much earth and carried several tons of sand up-hill to a place where he built a beach-volley ground. The Norwegian also improved his form there with reckless waterskiing or exhausting windsurfing when wind was blowing at forces 6-7!

Lasse is a fair cook

He even became a fair cook as he had to feed his numerous friends who came to help him or just to relax. Sometimes he dives and catches himself some fishes or crabs for lunch – or delicious fat mussels he likes to serve within a spicy soup.

But his greatest passion next to skiing is sailing, especially during regattas around Norway’s high-sea. He was pretty successful in recent summers, winning a prestigious Norwegian competition last spring in which he beat all the other favourites – including the boat of His Majesty the King!

“I totally forget ski racing when I’m on the sea with my crew, it’s perfect,” he explains. “It’s a wonderful way to stay in good shape and relax. I’m having a great time now because I know that my future life after ski racing will for sure be very exciting too. I have many projects including sailing around the world with my girl friend. It gives me the energy that I needed to be again competitive on snow!”
“I don’t know how many more years I’ll ski and I don’t want to think about it now. I prefer to enjoy the moment and prepare the next competitions which are my favourite ones. The downhill courses in Wengen and Kitzbühel are superb. It’s so nice to be able to charge them with full power and total determination. The overall World Cup is not a goal for me in this moment – I don’t think about it because they as still so many races on our schedule. Yet I’m very excited to be again among the leaders, I feel great about this, it’s so fun. If I stay healthy, it could be a very interesting winter for me!”

His rivals already worry about him and they expect a lot from him now. “When Lasse his healthy, happy and relaxed, he became quite difficult to beat” commented Maier at Chamonix. He knows what he is talking about!

PL