As Marco Odermatt prepares for the men’s World Cup opening GS in Sölden, Austria, on Oct. 27, the Swiss skiing legend shares his thoughts with Ski Racing Media.

SRM: What are your expectations for the Sölden World Cup opener, and what are your goals for the season?

Odermatt: Sölden is always special. It’s great seeing everyone again and getting that race feeling again. It’s a mixture of excitement and curiosity because, even though we try to simulate race situations in training, it’s never the same as a World Cup race. So, it’s cool to be able to race against the others again.

Of course, it’s nice to have a good start in Sölden, but I also know that it’s a long season and that one cannot get too high or too low on emotions after the first race. I have a few goals this season. Some are race-specific. The downhill in Kitzbühel is high on my list, and of course, the World Championships are races we all look forward to. The overall (World Cup) ranking is always a goal for me. Being in contention for it means I’m consistently skiing at a high level, and that’s what I want.

SRM: Preparations for this season seem to have been different than in the past, with ski training not in Zermatt but in South America and Saas-Fee. In what ways has this affected your preparations?

Odermatt: It wasn’t all that different, actually. We’ve been to South America before, and we know Saas-Fee and Diavolezza from previous years, too. We were able to pretty much follow our training schedule, so I feel well prepared for what’s to come.

SRM: What impact has your new physical trainer, Alejo Hervas, had on your strength and conditioning training?

Odermatt: We didn’t have to fundamentally change anything. Together with Kurt Kothbauer, we laid a very good foundation over the last few years, and with Alejo, we are now building on that. We changed some drills, played around with different reps and weights. Having someone from the outside come in always gives you new perspectives. Alejo looked at us and was able to identify small tweaks that, hopefully, will help us take another step. At this stage, it’s not about leaps; it’s about centimeters, but they can make a difference.

SRM: Will you focus evenly on GS, SG and DH in the upcoming season? If not, which discipline will you prioritize and why?

Odermatt: Yes, the goal is to compete in all GS, SG and DH races. But we’ll always monitor where we are and what the energy level is like, (and) staying healthy is always the number one priority.

SRM: Unfortunately, there have been many injuries among World Cup racers over the past seasons. Do you take any specific steps to help you stay injury-free?

Odermatt: Not really. A lot of it comes down to knowing your body and understanding where the risk limits are. It’s a fine line in alpine skiing because if you don’t risk enough, you don’t have a chance at succeeding. But if you cross the line, it takes a millisecond and you’re out, potentially injured. You try to look at the overall season, and sometimes that means ‘sacrificing’ a race in order to stay healthy. Going ‘all-in’ is not always the best tactic.

SRM: Your ski racing abilities are unique. Why can you ski so much faster than most of your competitors?

Odermatt: That’s hard for me to answer. You should probably ask my coaches or competitors. I feel great physically, and that gives me the mental strength to believe in myself and my abilities. My setup, on and off the slopes, has been very consistent over the last few years. That surely contributes a great deal too. Things have been going very well for me, so I haven’t had the need to change anything dramatically. Instead, I’ve focused on marginal gains in all areas of my skiing. Having a very competitive team also helps me get faster. We are constantly pushing ourselves in training, and I love that!