Sarah Bennett remembers the first time she met skier Marie-Michèle Gagnon at a Skibec Gala, about ten years ago. Last weekend, she took part in a first World Cup alongside Gagnon, who will reach the milestone of 250 starts on the circuit on Saturday.
“She probably doesn’t remember!” I must have been 7 or 8 years old at the time, ”recalls Sarah Bennett, in an interview with Sportcom to comment on her baptism of fire in the World Cup.
“We will remember it for a long time (this World Cup), but for different reasons. It’s special to see that we are both living very important moments. ”
It was on the occasion of the first super-G of the 2021-2022 calendar, presented in Lake Louise, Alta., That Bennett made his World Cup debut last Sunday. Even though she fell and was unable to complete the course, the 20-year-old skier takes nothing but positive from the experience and says she is relieved to have avoided a serious injury.
Veteran of the national team, Marie-Michèle Gagnon went to say a few words to him at the end of the race.
PHOTO SERGEI BELSKI, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Marie-Michèle Gagnon
“She came to me and told me not to worry. We talked a bit and it helped me put things in perspective. […] In the end, they (the athletes) have all been there and I felt I deserved my place. It’s a very motivating experience. ”
This first outing among the world’s elite means a lot to Sarah Bennett, who has been racing down the slopes since the age of 4. She no longer remembers her first races, but knows full well that she has aspired to reach the highest level for a very long time.
“It’s the dream of a lifetime! It’s since I have the memory that I know that this is my dream! It’s not a dream come true, because it’s just the start of a journey, but it’s the start of something incredible, ”said the Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury athlete.
On Sunday, she saw spectators waving posters to encourage her at the bottom of the track. Other members of the national team were there, as were his father, mother and sister.
“It was an emotional day and being in Canada to experience it, it was really special. Looking in the crowd and seeing my friends, teammates and family there really moved me. I could not deny these emotions, everyone was living them with me, in the present moment. ”
Fulfillment of a model
Saturday, at the World Cup in St. Moritz, the super-G event will mark the 250e departure of Marie-Michèle Gagnon. The athlete from Lac-Etchemin has been racing since 2008 and has 5 medals to his credit, two gold and three bronze. His most recent was won last winter in super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The one who has also participated in seven World Championships during her career will try to meet the Olympic qualification criteria by making her way into the top-15 twice. She could ski in her third Olympic Games after those in Vancouver and Sochi. Injured, she had missed those of PyeongChang in 2018.
By rubbing shoulders with the best skiers in the world, Sarah Bennett joined those she had watched on television for several years. By their side, last weekend, she was shaken by this vast experience that jumped out at her.
“There are a lot of people at the top, with the cameras and the tents. You try not to think about it, but it’s really intimidating, she said. Everyone is very serious and I was impressed by the professionalism of each. ”
While her compatriot prepares to pass the 250 World Cup mark, Bennett will instead focus on her Nor-Am Cup season, where she wants to hone her skills in the various disciplines of technique and speed.
“There are a lot of races this year where I think I can do well. I come into the Nor-Am circuit with a confidence I’ve never had before and it’s exciting to go there knowing I could win. ”
Its next competition will be in January. Until then, she will have her eye on Gagnon, hoping at the same time to follow in his footsteps in the coming years.