USST: Are you skiing on men's skis?
LV: In slalom and GS I'm skiing on men's skis, it's not a softer version it's exactly what the men are skiing on. In slalom it's 10 cm longer than what the women are skiing on. In GS it's 3 cm longer. It's been tough to adjust to the injection they've been doing on courses the last few years. On these courses the skis give me the support I need and the turning. That's the experience I gained from training with the men's team this summer and that's been a big part of my success this year.
USST: Looking ahead to the Olympics where American fans will pay attention, have you thought about how important the Olympics are to you and are you prepared for that pressure?
LV: I've been thinking a lot about the Olympics. I feel like I am a lot more prepared than in the past. It's been a challenge, at times, to be able to manage all the press and media over the last two years especially after winning the overall. That's made me better able to handle those situations. So I definitely know there will be a lot of pressure in these next Olympics but I feel I'm ready to handle it – or I hope I'm ready. The Olympics mean everything to me. The overall titles have been incredible and you work hard for, but the Olympics are very special. The Americans only watch those two weeks and probably don't see your sport until the next Olympics. This is my opportunity to show American how cool skiing is. It's a great extreme sport and I hope these Olympics give me the opportunity to show them who I am and the sport I love.
USST: Will they remember your crash in Torino? Does that give you motivation?
LV: I think what I'm carrying over most from the last Olympics is the disappointment from the crash and the fact I was able to come back and still compete. The disappointment made me realize how important skiing is to me and how much I love the sport. All I wanted to do when I was in the hospital was to get up and race. I give my life for skiing and I want it so badly that I hope these Olympics will be my time and I can accomplish my childhood dream.
USST: Talk about your work ethic?
LV: This summer I don't have a life. I'm in the gym six to eight hours a day, six days a week. I don't go out with friends very often, I don't get to do the normal stuff people do. I give all my time for skiing. I worked my whole life to be at this point in my career. I didn't go to prom, I didn't go to regular high school, I sacrificed all these things so I could ski. I know how much sacrificed and I'm willing to sacrifice even more to prepare for these Games. I hope it pays off and I can accomplish my dreams.
USST: How will you prepare for next season?
LV: After the Finals I'll have a month off. In May I'm going to start working out with my Red Bull trainers. In June and July I'll be in Europe for about six weeks with the Red Bull team solely on physical fitness, trying to get stronger. We'll do the similar preparation in Chile and New Zealand. My goals in the summer are to work on GS. I' really hoping to get a podium in GS and to keep working on all my events. There will always be young girls coming up and I want to compete again next year for the overall.
USST: Do you think you have a chance of catching Phil Mahre's 27 wins or Bode Miller's 31?
LV: In a few years I hope I can break those records. If I stay healthy and stay on this track I really hope to be in the position like Renate Goetschl and maybe get close to [Annemarie] Moeser-Proell. It's a long ways off and I have a lot of work to do and hopefully I can break those records in a few years.
