(Mont-Tremblant) No one was fooled in the world of alpine skiing: Valérie Grenier always had the potential to accomplish great things. And she proved it last season.
“They realized I was starting to be one of the best,” she said during a fundraiser organized to pay team fees for the upcoming season. The event, in the form of a silent auction, took place two weeks ago at the Chalet des Voyageurs in Mont-Tremblant.
The 26-year-old had swapped boots and coat for high heels and an evening dress.
The Canadian team had returned from a training camp in Chile in the middle of the night. And a few hours later, the skier returned to Europe to prepare for the new season.
The Franco-Ontarian will also approach this new campaign with renewed confidence. If we knew that she had the tools to one day hope to get on a World Cup podium, she proved it last year by climbing twice. Including once on the highest step, at the giant of Kranjska Gora, in Slovenia. A first for a Canadian skier since 1974, it should be remembered.
“I feel more confident than ever, but at the same time I feel a little bit more pressure. I don’t necessarily feel it, but I know it’s there. I know that I am capable of doing well and I want to continue to do well, to have other podiums,” she explains, sitting at a table at the back of the reception room.
Had it not been for a slight lack of opportunism, Grenier could have added at least three medals to his collection last winter, posting a fifth place and two sixth places.
Although it may sound cliché, she will need to ski more consistently if she hopes to drink champagne again or sit in the leader’s big chair as often as possible.
In the past, Grenier often had bad luck, as if being pursued by bad karma. The Canadian is often impeccable on the first descent. And even if she is well positioned for the second, an equipment glitch, a ride or a lack of concentration has often sabotaged the work started in the first half of the day.
But she was able to minimize missteps last year, even though she was unable to finish three of her first five races.
She nevertheless found a way to adjust during the season. And that’s what characterizes great champions.
“The big difference is that I make fewer mistakes,” she explains about her tendency to screw up her end points. Now I’m constant, I know I say it often, but that’s it. I know I can trust myself. »
She will start the 2024 season physically stronger, more stable and healthy, she assures. “I think it’s a mix of all that that makes me able to be strong on my skis. »
Anyone who has closely or remotely followed Grenier’s journey knows how almost infinite his possibilities are. Despite serious leg injuries that have slowed her down in the past, among other things, the skier has always maintained an immense appetite for competition and the taste for triumph.
By finishing seventh in the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) rankings in giant slalom, Grenier not only forged her way into the elite of her sport, but also earned the respect of her peers . “I felt it and noticed it in a beautiful way. The girls in the top 7 were always happy for me when I had good results,” she said.
This success will certainly have an impact on ticket sales for the Tremblant World Cup on December 2 and 3.
For a very rare time, the best skiers in the world will be visiting Quebec.
“For real, I’m losing it! It seems like I can’t believe it yet, but I’m extremely excited! », says Grenier, cheerfully.
Even though she grew up in Saint-Isidore, Ontario, she has been skiing on the Laurentian mountain for a long time. She is not a native of Tremblant, but the place has become her second home. Like Felix and his island.
She doesn’t hide it: “There will be a little stress, because it’s at home, but it’s the race this season where I would like to do the best. »
Place St-Bernard will be crowded and everyone will have it all. Like Mikaela Shiffrin in Killington or Sofia Goggia in Cortina.
However, she prefers to talk about privilege rather than pressure: “I know it will be a little more stressful, but I will try to use it to my advantage. »
Grenier also spent the entire summer in Tremblant. An unusual routine. She is used to seeing the mountain covered in snow, but seeing it in its green down had its effect.
Just getting away from it all, doing water skiing, road cycling and mountain biking, allowed him to recharge his batteries. “I like to spend time away from my skis and do other things. Play every other sport except skiing, basically! »
On the World Cup circuit, the seasons are long and sometimes stifling. For Grenier and her teammates, a new campaign will begin this weekend. At least when she dives in, she can claim to win every race. Because she already did it. And because she has the talent and the grit to do it again.
