After all, we are now all wearing a helmet

Ingemar Stenmark, which of the following titles would best fit to their biography: "The cannibal", "The silent man" or "The exception"?
cannibal? Is this for real? How come you say that?

Because they wanted to win everything, as once a professional cyclist Eddy Merckx.
Okay, that's true. But I was much too fond of.

Agree.
The title "The exception" fits well. I made a lot of things differently than my opponent. I pulled most of the time, was in Training to be creative. Sometimes I stretched a rope between two trees and balanced it with Weights to improve stability. (Thought would call) me the most as the "Schweiger".

your simple Yes and no answers were legendary.
I was silent earlier, quasi in several languages, (laughs) that other people have written about me.

Were you shy as you seemed?
Actually, at least at the beginning of my career. Later on, I became more open, but I kept my Image upright, so I could not be sure that the journalists expected too much from me. Interviews were a torture for me, I was afraid of the attention.

"I no longer felt comfortable, so I moved to Monte Carlo."

The Swedish tabloid media reported aggressively.
facts have been amended, some of it was even invented. But I was complicit in that, because I was letting hardly anything of me. The journalists were set by their leaders under pressure they had to deliver spectacular stories. Some followed me, especially after I got married.

your first wife was referred to as a witch...
...because I won a long time no race. In Sweden, I had no peace, not even in my home in Tärnaby. I no longer felt comfortable, so I moved to Monte Carlo. This was one of the best decisions of my life, I lived 26 years there. Because there are almost only celebrities, nobody for me.

The pressure on the other hand, they could not escape.
no. It was sometimes, as in the electric chair.

most mark retrieves in the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Gold in the Slalom. Bronze went to the Swiss Jacques Lüthy (left) and silver to Phil Mahre. (Photo: Keystone)

Why?
Because of me, not only it was expected that I win, but that I have brilliant gains. I remember that I won in Wengen, only a few Hundredths of advantage. The first questions of the Reporter were: What happened? Why so short? After all the Successes, the expectations were huge, but I put me also even extremely much pressure.

How did you deal with it?
By distance held to the journalists, to the Fans. A second place for me was basically, not a Disaster. But because initially only three races per discipline for the world Cup were counted (there were five), it was the end of the 1970s already clear that I would be this, if everything is running normally, to win a fourth Time. Therefore, nothing else than victories counted for me.

"have The drive to never want to lose, is not as easy as many people think."

Self-you phase, in which victories were rare. How did you feel about this?
I was able to enjoy these times more. It was all for me, basically in order, I had won everything I wanted to win. According to the Olympic victories in 1980 I was sure that I would go no further four years. The Motivation was gone.

And yet they drove on for another nine years – why?
(Thinks long) I don't know exactly. Perhaps because an earlier resignation would have been crazy. On the money anyway, it was not, it was to win my time and hardly any to. I just received four Pairs of skis each Winter. To have the drive to never want to lose, is not as easy as many people think. Marcel Hirscher is in this respect a phenomenon.

do you Recognize yourself in Hirscher again, because he wins all the time and almost never fails?
Its stability is incredible, and this was also my strength. But you can't compare the us, has developed the sport greatly. Hirscher is technically the other is not high, but he makes less mistakes. And if he makes one, he can correct him with his power. Something but it's actually similar to me: Many of his opponents to surrender before the race. You don't believe in it, to be able to beat him.

What goes through your head when he's a 6. It speaks to the skiing unlearned?
I would have said never. I don't know how Hirscher works, I've never spoken with him.

46 world Cup victories in the giant slalom, the Swede celebrates in his career. (Photo: Giuliano Bevilacqua/Sygma via )

you don't know him?
no. But I know that he will break my record. But then Mikaela Shiffrin will come and it clear, once again, beat. You will not have to win 100 races, I doubt it. Earlier the record was very important to me, now he is all the same to me.

Visit you still race?
race I like to watch on TV. What would I see? Two or three goals, maybe. In addition, the whole trappings is nothing for me, the many people scare me. The last Time I was over ten years ago in Kitzbühel, but I had not heard since the feeling to be a part of. It would be different if I would have a professional function, and the races would have to travel. But I asked myself the question: What am I doing here?

would you be able to work as a TV-expert.
Yes, but I didn't want to travel out of the rat race, a different life, back in the Winter of for the Winter at the same places.

Are you driving next week, the legend race with ambitions?
You should not expect too much, I'm often on the Ski. (Thinks) But at least we are now all wearing a helmet. We have not in the past, is insane.

"So scared I had otherwise only in Thailand."

you have a single exit denied in Kitzbühel. It was a question, with your Image of the scared bunnies to clean up?
Sure not. I wanted to get points for the combination.

It would have been easier descents, to once in life a combination.
It was also not comfortable at the Start. In front of me, many riders were eliminated, some were injured. It was dangerous, I drove almost only in an upright position and lost over ten seconds. So big I had fear only in Thailand.

What happened?
I had in Thailand a house and had Christmas there in 2004 during the holidays. There was a Tsunami warning, so I ran in time on a small hill and waited. At our place, no people died, but near everything was destroyed. I saw the wave from the hill, it was huge. Especially your force with which you hit the walls. Although nothing happened to me, I am not happy about it.

this Interview is now also a torture for you?
It was not too bad. So right to the Public I got used to never.

you took part in Sweden, even in the Show "Let's Dance".
And I won, although I'm not a good dancer. Can dance anyone can learn, I also had a partner, who is a professional. The audience decided to Call about the result, apparently, many have called for me.

Would therefore be "The Entertainer" is the best biography title?
(laughs) don't overdo it.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 08.02.2019, 08:59 PM