As usual, Valérie Grenier took a little time to spot her ranking on the scoreboard. When she saw the “5” displayed, her arms fell.
“I had a feeling my run was good, but I really wasn’t expecting that. I was like: “Wow!” I was flipping, I just couldn’t believe it. When I calmed down a bit, it looked like I wanted to cry! ”
The 24-year-old Franco-Ontarian had just ousted Slovakian Petra Vlhova, holder of the big Crystal Globe, at the end of the first round of the giant slalom of the World Cup in Sölden on Saturday.
She was three quarters of a second behind the leader, the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, and the closest pursuer, the American Mikaela Shiffrin, who was about to sign the 70e success of his fabulous career.
Three hours later, Grenier found herself with the same star skiers in the lead at the top of the slope.
PHOTO MARCO TROVATI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Valérie Grenier at the finish line, as she still seeks to see the result of her performance
It had never happened to me, it was weird. I’m really not used to waiting that long before starting the second descent. There was only Mikaela Shiffrin, Lara Gut and Petra Vhlova [et les Autrichiennes Stephanie Brunner et Katarina Liensberger]. It was very different to be part of that gang.
Valerie Grenier
A new situation which brought its share of pressure. The representative of the Mont-Tremblant club did not want to waste such a great opportunity, the fate that the Austrian Stephanie Brunner, who passed from 3e at the 17e square.
“I was trying to stay calm, but inside there was a lot of stress. It’s so easy to lose that position. ”
In Lenzerheide, at the end of the last season, she was 13e after a round before screwing up an excellent result by leaving the track at the end of the course.
“My coach just reminded me to do the same thing as in the first run, not to try anything new, to focus on my skiing. When I only think about technique and nothing else, it almost always works for me. ”
Despite a somewhat cautious start and a little fright at the start of the wall, Grenier made it to the bottom without a hitch. She was initially disappointed to see the red light indicating that she had not kept her lead, then “relieved” to find that she was sure to finish in the top 10.
“Immediately after, I had a big smile. I realized that it was already so amazing as the first race. ”
With her seventh place in the final standings, she surpassed her best successful giant result on the same track three years earlier (11e). She had not reached the top 10 than two other times in the World Cup, at the super-G of Lake Louise in 2018 (5e) and that of Cortina d’Ampezzo in January 2019 (4e), or just before his quadruple fracture to one leg suffered in training at the World Championships in Äre.
PHOTO JOE KLAMAR, FRANCE-PRESS AGENCY
Valérie Grenier during the first round of the Sölden slalom
A step
When he returned to his home in L’Orignal, in Eastern Ontario, Grenier was still enjoying this result, which allowed him to take a step forward. “It’s the perfect way to start the season,” she noted on the phone Monday. It confirms to me that I am on the right track and that my ski is there. I also know that I have more to give. It is really encouraging. ”
It also reinforces his conviction that a first podium is indeed realistic. Three days before the race, she had manifested it for the first time in an interview with Press, not without feeling invested by the syndrome of the impostor.
“I don’t like to say it, but it confirmed to me that I was not crazy, that I am still quite close to these girls. To see that it’s really real hit me and made me very emotional. ”
The result also stemmed a small worry that appeared a few days before the race and that she had kept to herself. She was stopped by sore shins after just three runs in her last training session before coming to Sölden. Operated twice to relieve compartment syndrome which was causing her this kind of pain, she was afraid to start again in this spiral which considerably slowed her down.
The skier was angry with herself as much as she had hurt herself through her own fault. To get to a store about to close with teammates, she took a run in the wrong shoes.
“I had so many regrets and also frustration that I was not done with this damn compartment syndrome. It was just a hard time. ”
Fortunately, everything was back to normal before he left for the Rettenbach glacier.
For the group of coaches, this top 10 spot is just confirmation of the potential of the former world junior downhill champion.
Val’s progress has picked up where it was last season.
Manuel Gamper, Head Coach of the Canadian Women’s Team
“There is still room and we are not there yet,” added the Italian. In the second round, she still had some in the tank. She skied a bit cautiously, especially in the second section of the steep slope. But she had a good rhythm, which she maintained until the end. We are very happy, there is nothing to complain about. At the same time, we feel that there are still some left and that is a good thing. We want to take it one step at a time. ”
The next test will be to maintain her stability in super-G, where the skier still experiences a “mental block” after her accident in 2019. “She is certainly a skier who can be very fast in super-G. But we want to minimize the risks by solidifying our technique. ”
After an internship at Vail, Grenier will head to Killington, Vermont, for a rare World Cup where his relatives can cheer him on.
Walkabout
They were nearly 10,000 to applaud the skiers on Saturday and Sunday in the Austrian resort. A rediscovery for Grenier, who had gotten used to skiing without an audience last winter. “Looks like I forgot how I liked it,” she said. We might have gotten used to having no one in the finish. Hearing the crowd shouting and cheering is really, really good. The atmosphere was so fun, so intense. She also met two members of her “fan club”, two Austrians, apparently a father and son, who designed a large Canadian flag with two photos of her and a “Go Val” in the maple leaf. . “It was so cute! They are really nice. They are big fans of Canada. They often write to me on Instagram. I don’t have that many followers in life, so for sure I answer. It made me happy to see them. ”