In Sunday’s slalom, a mistake in the upper part of the course cost her a podium place. “It really surprised me. I simply lost my balance. I went all-out in the beginning, I think I should have paced myself,” Maze said about her mistake, which dropped her from 2nd to 9th place.
“The second run was very difficult. I couldn't get a feel for the track, and it was already in bad shape,” Maze told Aleš Smrekar of Val 202. She now ranks second in the World Cup slalom standings, trailing Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 31 points. The Slovene champion feels confident after her performance in Aspen. “I think I gave my all. I’m very happy with my performance in the super-G, but I have to come to terms with the mistakes I made in the slalom. I must not be too hard on myself because I know I perform well,” Maze said.
The women will start downhill training on Wednesday, so there will be no time to rest.. Maze is aware that she has to catch up with the downhill and super-G specialists. “I know I have some catching-up to do. I hope I can train properly in Lake Louise and get back into the loop. I’ve definitely fallen behind, but that doesn’t mean I can’t catch up within a few days.” The two-time Olympic champion is keen to improve her overall world cup standing in Lake Louise. She currently ranks third behind Kathrin Zettel (by 61 pts), and Mikaela Shiffrin (by 21 pts). However, Zettel does not compete in speed events.
The girls will continue with a downhill on Friday and Saturday, and a super-G on Sunday. Meanwhile, the men’s circuit heads to Beaver Creek for a super-G, a downhill, and a giant slalom race.
R. K.; translated by D. V
