Lara Gut-Behrami, a prominent alpine skier and recent World Cup champion, is facing a challenging season. After winning multiple awards last year, she’s now without a head sponsor following the termination of her contract due to financial issues at Camille Bloch. Despite contemplating retirement, new coaching and personal reflections may inspire her to continue competing. However, injury and illness have hampered her training, leaving her uncertain about her readiness as the season opens on the Rettenbach glacier.
Lara Gut-Behrami is making her return, and it’s already turning heads in the ski world. Few athletes share her penchant for stepping away from the spotlight. Last season, she celebrated winning the overall World Cup, as well as titles in both the giant slalom and super-G categories. Although she hinted at one last season, it seems her long absence is extending.
During her time away, she was reportedly vacationing in Udine with her husband, Valon Behrami, and later training at various locations, far removed from the competitive scene. Gut-Behrami has limited her public appearances, having last given a significant interview back in 2021 and largely abandoned social media since 2018, posting only infrequently for her sponsors.
Recently, news broke in Sölden about the termination of her long-standing sponsorship deal with chocolate manufacturer Camille Bloch, which has been grappling with surging cocoa prices. For twelve years, the Ragusa logo graced her helmet and headgear, but now that space will remain vacant due to the lack of a stated reason for the split.
Head Sponsor Loss Impacts Financials
Beginning the season without a primary sponsor is a notable turn of events for the reigning overall champion. Camille Bloch’s sudden exit likely reflects the current financial climate, as securing a mid-six-figure sum for her sponsorship is no small feat. The number of companies willing to invest at this level is dwindling.
Moreover, the uncertainty regarding her potential retirement after this season adds another layer of risk for potential sponsors. Gut-Behrami is likely considering her financial strategy carefully, especially since her personal team now costs significantly less than it did at the start of her career. Currently, her fitness coach is a part of the Swiss Ski team, allowing her to often train with others benefiting from the association. Despite the lack of a primary sponsor, her earnings remain strong; last winter, she secured nearly 600,000 francs in prize money, in addition to a substantial contract with her ski outfitter.
In a past interview, she candidly discussed her dwindling presence in public and the expectations that come with her status as a top athlete. She expressed frustration with how the public often assumes she should take on numerous obligations beyond her focus on racing. The demands of public appearances, interviews, and other promotional commitments can detract from her performance, and she resents how these obligations are often viewed as a given.
Many female athletes share similar feelings. It’s difficult for outsiders to grasp how exhausting it can be to concentrate on racing while simultaneously fielding repetitive questions in the finish area. In the documentary “Aiming High,” which follows her attempt to ski down the Matterhorn, Gut-Behrami reveals her struggle with always feeling the need to perform. Despite her achievements, she often felt dissatisfied, realizing that the sacrifices she made for success were taking a toll on her happiness.
Now, she has carved out personal spaces for herself, allowing her to focus on what truly matters. Remarkably, last winter, Gut-Behrami competed with a level of strength and consistency she had never exhibited before, despite having 16 years of World Cup experience and overcoming two severe injuries. At 33 years old, she contemplates the final chapter of her professional journey.
In the spring, she mentioned it may be her last season, but her perspective seems to be shifting. This change may also relate to her recent coaching switch. At the World Cup final in 2024, she learned that her coach, Alejo Hervas, would be stepping down to work with Marco Odermatt, leading to a confrontation and ultimately a search for a new coach. Her new trainer, Flavio Di Giorgio, from Italy, previously worked with Sofia Goggia and has introduced fresh ideas into her training regimen, inspiring Gut-Behrami to consider extending her career.
Injuries and Illness Challenge Gut-Behrami
Gut-Behrami has always expressed that nothing compares to making perfect turns on a closed course, an experience tied intimately to racing. This belief has recently evolved. Last winter marked the first time in 15 years that she skied alone, indicating a shift in what skiing means to her.
The new season kicks off on the Rettenbach glacier above Sölden on Saturday, and Gut-Behrami is eager but apprehensive. She feels prepared, as her confidence from last winter has returned, but challenges quickly emerged.
Training in South America turned problematic when she injured her left knee, a vulnerable area after her cruciate ligament tear in 2017. There were days when the pain rendered her unable to bend her knee,