Manuela Malsiner: "A
very important season for all girls"
By Frederik Clasen
Manuela Malsiner /fot. ladies-skijumping.com/
Over the last years the number of competitors in
World Cups has grown and so the latest competitions
were attended by the large number of 70 jumpers.
While a handful of jumpers is fighting for victory,
an even larger group struggles to pass qualification
or to see the second round. To get an insight what's
happening in that second row, Ladies-Skijumping.com
intern Frederik Clasen talked within the World Cup
weekend in Hinterzarten to Italy's junior hope Manuela
Malsiner.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: What are your goals for this
season?
Manuela Malsiner: This season is for sure a very
important one for all girls because of the Olympic
Games in Sochi in February, but I think that I am
far away from going there. So I am focused on the
Junior World Championships in Predazzo which will
be held in the end of January. I want to make a
good result there and then I will try to finish
in the top 30 of as many World Cup competitions
as possible.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Will you be in the World
Cup Team for the whole season?
Malsiner: Probably yes, but today after the competition
(Sat. 21/12, Hinterzarten) Ivo Pertile (manager
in the Italian Ski Federation FISI) told us that
we can’t continue the way it is now, as no Italian
made it to the top 30. I think that if the results
won’t get better our coach just has to leave some
of the team members at home. (In the competition
on the next day Malsiner's team-mates Runggaldier
and Insam both finished in the top 30)
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Are you satisfied with the
support of the FISI?
Malsiner: I am satisfied with it, but the spreading
of the money is not so fair for all disciplines.
The alpine skiing team is getting more money than
the nordic disciplines. At the end of a season we
are normally getting a little low on money, so it
is hard to get to all training camps and competitions.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: You are the youngest jumper
in the team. How do you get along with your team
mates? Do they give you advices and can you ask
them questions from time to time?
Malsiner: I get along very well with everyone especially
with Evelyn (Insam), because she is a bit younger
than the others and also because she is able to
see a joke. For sure I ask the others for advices
because they have more experience than I have. They
are very helpful and taught me, for example, how
I can fight nervousness at competitions or told
me generally about things I can do things better.
They also give me advices without asking them.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Do you sometimes wish yourself
more attention for Ladies Skijumping, especially
in your home country Italy?
Malsiner: Yes, of course. In comparison to competitions
in Italy, pretty much spectators came to see the
World Cup here in Hinterzarten today. In Italy the
people in general don't pay so much attention to
ski jumping. Despite this I think that Ladies Skijumping
made progresses in many parts and I hope that it
will go on like this!
Ladies-Skijumping.com: What do your teachers and
friends think of the fact that you miss school so
often and that you don’t have so much time?
Malsiner: I am attending a school that supports
athletes and as I don't have bad grades, they have
no reason to worry. They don't say a word, they
just wish me good luck ahead of competitions. It
is important also for them, that I am successful
in my sportive career.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Do you like traveling?
Malsiner: Traveling is always nice. I like it to
start a journey but I also like it to come back
home after some time, because it is stressful to
be away for a long time. The worst thing about traveling,
in my opinion, is the jetlag. January will be very
stressful. At first we will go go to Chaikovsky,
Russia, come back for two days and then we fly to
Japan for two competition weekends.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Do you have favorite jumping
hill and did you already jump on a large hill?
Malsiner: Yes, last summer I made many nice jumps
on the normal hill in Almaty, Kazakhstan, so I really
like it. I also like the hills in Ramsau, Austria,
and Kranj, Slovenia. But actually I like many hills.
Yes, this summer we were jumping on the large hill
in Courchevel/FRA once. There I set my personal
best with approximately 115 meters.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: How did you come to start
ski jumping?
Malsiner: When I was younger (7-8 years) I was in
the swimming club and my coach there was also a
ski jumping coach. Because I always jumped around
during the swimming lesson he asked me if I would
like to try ski jumping. I liked that idea immediately
and so I started to jump.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: How much training do you
have to do?
Malsiner: The level in the World Cup is rising more
and more. Due to that also I have to do more training
now. When we are on a training camp we do six or
seven jumping units. Additional to that we go regularly
to the gym or to the weight room. I go to weight
room usually five times per week.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Finally a special question
about the Christmas time: Do you have to pay attention
on what you eat on Christmas eve?
Malsiner: You should not eat to much, but Christmas
is a special celebration and so it iss allowed to
eat a little bit more. Usually all jumpers are doing
that.
Ladies-Skijumping.com: Then I wish you a merry Christmas
time, a Happy New year and good luck for the rest
of the season. Thank you for doing this interview,
although you did not feel so well after falling
in today's competition.
Malsiner: Thank you, the same to you. It was no
problem for me to do this interview today!