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Risto
For Whitney, the focus for running 3 at 41 off is now the entire pass. Photo: billdoster.com
Can you describe what you mean by “not a great feeling”? It was like a cloud over me all the time, because I wanted it so badly. Instead of it being something that I was capable of, it felt like it was something that was weighing me down this summer. It made me not have the summer that I really should have.
What is it going to take now to break the world record? Everything has to line up. You need to be training properly, you need to be mentally there; everything has to work. Everything needs to be ready at the right time for the world record to go down.
Regina Jaquess upped the world slalom record again by skiing 3 at 41 off just a couple of months after you tied it. Did that put more pressure on you? It actually took the pressure off. Instead of feeling like 3 was it, I just kept thinking to myself, If I could just get 3, if I could just get one more … . I realized it’s not about racing to try and break the world record. Ultimately, I want to run 41. Instead of continuing to think of it as a 3-buoy course, I need to think of it as a new pass. The men are showing that 41 is attainable, and I just need to keep my focus, instead of thinking about it as “breaking the world record.” When I ran 39, it was also one of those barriers over my head (at that time, the world record was 1 at 41). Our sport is just so mental. I also get lost in the moment and in the hunt.
So no hard feelings toward Regina? Regina’s an awesome athlete, and it always breaks my heart when she breaks the world record (laughs). That’s just the competitor I am.
