Wow, what a comeback season!
I obviously hoped that I would be able to start off from where I had left off with the brilliant runs I was completing before getting injured in January 2017. With this goal in mind, I went to lots of physiotherapy sessions and did lots of intense fitness training throughout spring/summer 2017. But I didn't expect it to pay off so quickly.
After some initial difficulties with the first World Cup races, during which I was never able to ski completely pain-free, and following my defeat in the giant slalom in Adelboden, things got going again!
There was one highlight after another…
I become the Junior Swiss Champion in giant slalom at the beginning of January 2018, celebrated my first European Cup podium place and one week later I won my first EC race. This was followed by an incredible winning streak at the Junior World Championships in Davos, where I won five gold medals, setting new records and making history.
At the finals in Are, Sweden, I took part in my first World Cup downhill event and my first World Cup super-G event. I came within the top 15 in each case, winning my first World Cup points in both disciplines. Finally, despite making mistakes in the second run, I also came in fifteenth place in the giant slalom event and won World Cup points. The season was almost over for me, but the buzz from winning gold lived on at the elite Swiss championships in Davos as I unexpectedly earned the title of Swiss Champion in the downhill category and then Swiss Champion in the super-G category – just incredible! Unfortunately, it was not possible to hold the giant slalom event in the Hasliberg area – which I would have looked forward to – due to excessive foehn winds.
My comeback season couldn't have been more successful or wonderful. Everything went perfectly. From the beginning of January, I was able to match my top performance in almost every race. What's more, over the last few months, I have learned an incredible amount in a wide range of different domains.
From January 2018, the most important thing was my health. I was never ill and never injured myself in a fall. I am looking forward to starting my summer training again soon to optimally prepare myself for the coming season.
After a few days' rest, activities at the military training school in Magglingen will resume from 16 April 2018.
I send you all my very best and hope you have a wonderful summer.
Marco