LAKE LOUISE | Despite the clouds and a light snow, the sun was shining brightly in Marie-Michèle Gagnon’s eyes when she showed up in the mixed zone for the post-race interviews.
• Read also: Disappointment for Marie-Michèle Gagnon
Disappointed with her performance the day before, Gagnon rebounded nicely to post her second best career result in downhill.
The pride of Lac-Etchemin finished at 9e rank of the Lake Louise World Cup dominated for a second consecutive day by the Italian Sofia Goggia, who beat her closest pursuer by 0 s 84. The Quebecer set a time of 1 min 50 s 02 compared to 1 min 48 s 42 for the gold medalist.
In Italy on February 27, 2021 at the end of the season, Gagnon also finished at 9e rank. The day before, she had obtained the best result of her career with a 7e square.
Solid result
Sixth after her descent when she left with bib number 18, Marie-Michèle slipped three rows, but nothing to spoil her pleasure.
“I’m happy because I gave a good performance and I respected the race line I wanted to do,” she explained. It is a solid result. I know I can do even better, but I avoided a big mistake like Friday and I have to remember the positive side. “
Gagnon believes that his performance will allow him to gain confidence. “I tell myself in every race that I have to attack hard, but you have to feel it to be really ready for anything,” she stressed. Today [samedi]I needed 5 to 10 percent intensity to be successful in a race that would allow me to be on the podium. This is the next step and it will be fine for the rest of the season. “
Even though she is one of the most experienced skiers in the white circus at 32, Gagnon has only adopted speed trials since 2019.
“I have less experience than many girls in the downhill and I have to go one step at a time,” she said. I’m not constant going downhill and have to build. I expected to break into the Top 10 because I competed with the best all fall in training and beat them a few times. I know I can be even better. “
In front of his parents
Gagnon was happy to have been able to offer a good result to his parents and his brother present in the finish area.
“I never really did well in front of my parents,” she said. I am happy to share my performance with them. My results had nothing to do with their presence, just a coincidence. It’s special to do well in Lake Louise. “
If Marie-Michèle was delighted with her performance, her parents were also very happy. Are you happy Mme Giguère (Marie-Luce) asked him for the representative of Newspaper ? “I’m crazy stiff,” she replied with her best smile.
“I’m happy to see the smile on my daughter’s face,” added father Daniel Gagnon. She wasn’t too talkative after her race on Friday. “
Prior to the weekend, Gagnon’s best downhill performance at Lake Louise was a 26e position. She took the 16e rank, Friday, a result that had greatly disappointed her. In 2013, however, Gagnon had obtained his best career result in Alberta with a 10e super-G position.