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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
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