ATfter Johan Clarey’s fine silver medal in the downhill, Alexis Pinturault hopes to continue this momentum for the French clan on the Yanqing track. Leader of the French delegation in alpine skiing, “Pintu” or “La Bête”, as his former teammate Julien Lizeroux nicknamed him, intends to assume his rank. His career speaks for him: first, in the World Cup with 74 podiums, including 34 victories, the general classification in 2021 and five small crystal globes. If we add to that his three medals (one in silver, two in bronze) at the previous Olympic Games, we quite simply have one of the most accomplished prize lists in French skiing.
Always as ambitious, the native of Moûtiers obviously wishes to be able to climb to the top step of the podium in Beijing, which would be the ultimate consecration of his career. Engaged in four races, starting with the super-G on Tuesday (starting at 4 a.m. French time), Alexis Pinturault expects a lot from these Games, after a lackluster season on European and American tracks. Only ninth overall, he only recorded three podiums and no wins.
He could have skied for Norway
Compared to Sochi and Pyeongchang, the 30-year-old skier feels he won’t have the same pressure at all in China. “I had felt it strangely, he confided recently to The Team. I was very young in 2014, but I was already the leader in alpine skiing because there were injuries. I was not ready at all. I had the feeling that a lot was expected of me, when it was far too early. “Now hunter rather than hunted, he will try to play his card against Marco Odermatt, the Swiss phenomenon who largely dominates the general classification of the World Cup. But the Swiss finds himself in the same situation as Pinturault, eight years earlier, and the weight of the event could well benefit the Frenchman.
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The French skier also almost defended the colors of Norway, because of his mother and intense lobbying from Oslo, in particular by former champion Aksel Lund Svindal. Expected very early, he had to deal with this label of prodigy. “Growing up, it was difficult to find my place, I was sometimes embroiled in a system, in situations that I didn’t like, where I didn’t feel comfortable. I was forced to do certain things. Today, I have matured and I am better able to say no. It allowed me to reclaim my performance, ”he explained to Actu Grenoble last March. Alexis Pinturault now has his destiny between his skis to get a little closer to Jean-Claude Killy in the pantheon of French skiing.