Slalom ace Katharina Liensberger: There's still a lot to come
The two-time world champion explains how the support of Petra Vlhova's former coach, Livio Magoni, will inspire "a lot of chances for getting better".
Alpine Skiing
Very few skiers have been as successful as Katharina Liensberger over the past two seasons.
But despite two world titles, one small globe and three Olympic medals, the 25-year-old Austrian is not concerned about being considered as a global star.
“I wouldn't say it's a question about being a star,” she told Olympics.com this October in Soelden.
“I prefer more to really show everybody what I love so much and this is skiing. And if I can just give everyone a little bit of this fun that I have while I'm sking, this makes me really happy.”
Liensberger had a breakout year in 2021, breaking the slalom duopoly of Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova to take World Championship gold in Cortina having already claimed parallel giant slalom gold (shared with Marta Bassino).
She then claimed her first World Cup wins, taking the final two slaloms of the 2020-21 season ahead of Shiffrin..
In 2022, the rise of the Voralberg native was hampered by Covid which affected her first part of the season.
But when the Beijing Winter Olympic Games came, Liensberger delivered again and her efforts were rewarded with silver in slalom and gold in the team event.
“It was an incredible season. It wasn't easy for me because I had a lot of ups and downs also with my health situation, and then all the focus was on the Olympics where I knew I had to perform as best as I could. And I really did it,” she explained.
“So it was just amazing. But all the races before, it was getting harder and harder as I had Covid in November, I couldn't start in some races and so this wasn't really easy for me. So the focus for the next season is, of course, to perform on every race as fast and as good as possible for me, and to hold it also over the whole season. My potential? I hope there’s a lot more to come.”
Liensberger: A new team to help her chase more titles
After a World Cup season which probably did not meet her expectations (her first and only win came in March in Are, Sweden), the Austrian talent is working with a new team:
“I've structured some new things this season as I have new coaches: a technical coach, Livio (Magoni), a service man, Milos (Machytka) and a conditioning coach, Giampi (Mutti). They are all new and also in our group within the Austrian Federation, the overall structure is more or less new and it brings a lot of chances for getting better,” she said.
“I think it's always a process that you always have to do more and never stop on your way. It's always that you move forward and then you have to make changes, also take new challenges and then you can get better.”
Magoni was part of the technical team which helped Slovenian legend Tina Maze clinch the overall World Cup title in 2013 with a record points tally. The Italian also guided Vlhova to a historic big Crystal Globe two years ago before parting ways with the Slovak.
“There are a lot of new aspects with Livio, so we can work really face to face a lot of together. So he's not only on skis with me, he's always in the afternoons with me and he really wants to have a good overview on my whole day, on what I'm doing. And so we can really talk close to each other. And so it's really exciting doing something different. And yeah, I'm really happy to go this way with him now.”
Liensberger: Cross-training and Olympic soundtrack
Magoni is known in the White Circus for some unorthodox training methods.
While coaching Vlhova, he used to have her warm up on speed skates, and take wrestling lessons with a Krav-Maga self-defence instructor.
He even made the Slovak play drums to improve her hand and feet coordination. “I’m sorry, but I’m only playing the harp, I’ve already told him!” said the Austrian with a laugh.
That said, the three-time Olympic medallist enjoys cross-training and indulged in outdoor activities like cycling, rock climbing and windsurfing during the summer:
“I practise many sports and I really like the change, the variation of those many sports. They keep me smiling over the day. Yes, we have our normal programme of training in the gym and all the other things like playing tennis or climbing. I really like kitesurfing, but it's not really possible in our region. I was also water-skiing on the lake and for me this change, the possibility of doing a lot of sports, this makes me happy.”
Music is another important diversion for Liensberger and helps her keep a balance.
Her passion for playing the harp is now common knowledge. She also revealed how Rihanna’s song ‘Fly’ inspired her at Cortina 2021.
What was her soundtrack in Beijing?
“I really have some songs for each race. I don't know exactly the song that was in Beijing. I just remember one song, I think it was in the team event and it was ‘Best of Us’," she said, referring to the charity song from the music project WIER.
“I remember when we went in the bus to the Closing Ceremony, and then we put this song on in the bus and everybody was singing it. And it was so cool because we felt this enthusiasm from everyone. And, yeah, it was like doing something together. And so for me sometimes a song helps me to focus on the thing that I like in the moment and that I want done.”