The French descender decided to go to Austria, even “without having the best morale”.
Downhill Olympic vice-champion Johan Clarey made the trip to Kitzbühel (Austria) despite “personal issues” who had forced him to withdraw from Wengen (Switzerland) last week, and expects difficult races considering himself “a little damaged. I go average to be honest. I have personal problems, with my wife, we are going through really difficult times at the moment, an event was very difficult for us“, he launched Wednesday at a press conference. “I do not approach Kitzbühel with the best morale. I hesitated a lot, I will try to give my maximum. If it had been another race, chances are I wouldn’t have come“, he added.
Clarey, dean of the circuit (42 years old) and leader of the French speed team, withdrew at the last moment for the World Cup stage in Wengen (Switzerland) last week. In Kitzbühel, two descents are organized on Friday and Saturday on the mythical Streif, before a slalom on Sunday. Clarey, who is playing his last season, has often shone there, notably with a second place last year.
«I am a man before being a skier, when the man is a little damaged, the skier is a little too necessarily. I don’t know how I will react. The first training went quite difficult on Wednesday, but it will get better and better. I have the experience for that.The downhill silver medalist from the Beijing Olympics last year reckons the track is for now “one of the easiest“that he saw in the Austrian station, with a coating”smooth and grippy“. A second official training is scheduled for Thursday.