Kozzie's Corner: slalom's super seven

Kozzie’s Corner: slalom’s super seven The first seven women in slalom this year are truly the most competitive group I have witnessed and I am very proud to be a part of it. Currently, the top seven women in slalom are all skiing so strong. Whoever can put two perfect runs together will win. I know you may be saying to yourself, ‘well of course, to be ranked in the top seven in the world, you have to be a great skier.’ But this is different. It is such a strong contingent. The group as a whole is amazingly strong.
Take for instance the race we just had in Zagreb, Croatia. The top seven girls at the start of the race also finished as the top seven. Yep, every place first through seventh. Their names are all well known: Janica, Shild, Tanja, Anja, myself and Zettel. So far this season, Anja Paerson has won two slaloms and Shild has won three. But the rest of us are nipping at their heals every race and they know it. It has to be such an exhilarating group to be a part of this season. I can only imagine how exciting it has been to watch. And the Olympics will be no exception. We have one more slalom before the Olympic games and it will be sure to entertain.

Truly, the level of skiing in the past ten years has really elevated and women’s slalom this season is a perfect example. It is pretty cool when the bar gets raised and a whole group follows. Sometimes there is the standout who is ahead of the pack, but other times, like right now, all the athletes as a whole are rising to the occasion. They say when you are in the forest; it is hard to see the trees, right? (Isn’t that what they say?) Well, I am very proud to be in my 15th year on the World Cup circuit and holding my own with the top six other girls in the world. It isn’t something I think of often, but the other day at the public draw as I looked around at the other girls ranked in the top seven, I realized what a small group seven is, and it was hard not to be proud to be standing there. I have been in the top seven since 1998 (I have fallen out and into the second part of the seed on three different occasions, but have always come back to the top seven). I don’t think there are many other athletes men or women that can say that.

You know, it is funny, me sitting here tooting my own horn. It’s not very me, but I guess when I saw the other day that the race last week in Maribor was my 102nd World Cup slalom, I figured maybe it was time for me to start recognizing all that I have accomplished in this sport. And the best part is that I still love it. There just isn’t anything else in the world like racing.

Kristina Koznick, who has won six World Cup races, will keep her journal here all year. To read more athlete journals, or to hear industry insiders in their own words, click here.

Contact Kristina Koznick at TeamKoznick@aol.com.