When the Slovenian alpine skier won a bronze medal in slalom at a World Cup race in Garmisch at the age of 20, she probably didn’t imagine she would have to face so many difficulties in the years to follow. In the beginning of the previous season, she fell in Lake Louise and didn’t return until the Olympic season. She took 11th place at the Super-G race in Cortina d’Ampezzo this Sunday, and signalled she could be among the top 10 in Sochi; perhaps an opportunity for something more might even arise.

The Golden Fox will take place at Podkoren, Kranjska Gora again. Could we say that you’ll have home advantage, since you come from this region?

Not really. We had some races at Podkoren in junior categories, but on easier slopes. We haven’t had many training sessions there in the past few years, and even when we did, we were there from seven to nine in the morning, which means we started when it was still dark. But it is definitely very lovely to compete at home. It’s a good feeling to be able to sleep in your own bed and spend time with your family.
Will you be able to have some training sessions at Podkoren before the race?
No, that’s not allowed. We’ll be in Innerkrems, and I believe the conditions there should be good. On one hand, it’s a shame that it’s not possible to practice at the location before a home race, but the conditions had been poor before and now the track is closed.
You’ll probably only compete on the Sunday race of the Golden Fox?
That’s correct, I’ll compete in slalom and – taking this year’s results into consideration – I hope to reach the finals.
Why is slalom not going so well for you this season?
I’d like to feel as relaxed in slalom as I do in faster disciplines. I can’t only believe this would happen – I have to do something to make it happen.
Were your good results in Cortina related to the fact that you’ve already qualified for the Olympic Winter Games, so there was not need to worry about Sochi?
I qualified in one of the categories, and no one can say the performance in Sochi was given to me as a gift. I deserved it, even though I didn’t qualify by meeting the strictest criterion but the second one – one result among the top 16 plus being among top 30 in at least 30 per cent of the races the skier participates in.
Did the four races in four days in Cortina tire you out?
Yes, physically and mentally, but I’m glad I was able to endure and stay focused for every race. I didn’t have any second thoughts about whether I would make it or not. I was in a position where I could only tell myself: you must do this. I was particularly satisfied with the Sunday’s 11th place in Super-G; I was a bit shocked after finishing the downhill on Saturday. I had a relatively good time but only took 28th place. The conditions were excellent, apparently the skiers took the risk and one small mistake cost you many places. There were 23 contestants within one second, which says it all.
The key thing is that you’ve got a boost in your self-esteem before Sochi…
Yes – a little late, but still. I would have wanted this in the beginning of the season. I started it in Levi, where I didn’t win any points, and then there was an extremely difficult Beaver Creek. It would have been easier if we had raced in Lake Louise first, since that one wasn’t so challenging.
Were you afraid to return to the slope where you had suffered a serious injury last season?
When I was approaching the place of the fall at the first practice run for downhill, I remembered it for a moment. I said to myself that this was that unfortunate place , but I didn’t assume a defensive position and everything was fine. It’s getting better every day, I’m more relaxed day by day.
For which discipline do you have greatest expectations for Sochi?
One hopes for the best in every discipline, of course. You can have a breakthrough and achieve something big. Perhaps the training sessions doesn’t go too well, but then you decide to do better at the race and it simply works. I can probably expect the best results in super combination, but I don’t want to put one disciplines before the others.
You could be quite satisfied with the Olympic rehearsal two years ago …
It was ok, I was 14th. The track was diverse, it keeps changing, technical and sliding parts alternate.
You were a little less satisfied with the airports there …
There were constant problems with luggage, check-ups, the wait … Two years ago we didn0t reach the hotel until 2 am.
You have not been mentioned as a favourite, but surprises are common at big competitions. Could that be you?
I know I’m not among the favourites, and this suits me. Let the media focus on others, I need tranquillity to prepare for each performance. These will be my second Olympic Games, which means I won’t be that euphoric. I’ll perceive things differently than four years ago, when everything was new.
How many words in Russian do you know?
I can say hi, ask how someone is doing and that the skis need to be bound. Three years ago the Russians invited me to their national championship and I spent two weeks there. I’ve learned some vocabulary. I even read Russian newspapers in the end.

You’re more fluent in French, aren’t you?
I’ve made enough progress in French that I can have a normal conversation. I had understood French quite well, but I had some difficulty with speaking.

Your luggage always contains a book. Is it true that you read in the start zone?
Yes, I always carry a book with me, and sometimes I read books before the start to calm myself down.
Did it help in Zauchensee? How wild was the “free fall” right after the start line?
It made my stomach churn when we went to see the track. You have to lift your hips a bit there, or it will simply ‘squeeze you together’.
What’s the latest book you’ve read?
Me before You. It’s a novel about a quadriplegic. I swallowed the last 20 pages.