Skip to main content
12221
Back to International Paralympic Committee homepage Go to Official website of World Para Alpine Skiing
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
Official website of World Para Alpine Skiing
    • Home
    • News
    • Rules and Documents
    • Events
    • Live results
    • Calendar
    • Athletes
    • Videos
    • Rankings
    • Classification
    • Anti-doping
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • News
    • Blogs

    Marie Bochet’s quest for perfection

    22.03.2019

    French superstar crowns unbeaten season with overall World Cup title

    female Para alpine skier Marie Bochet turns through a gate Marie Bochet crowned an unbeaten season by winning the final race in Morzine © • Luc Percival
    By Lena Smirnova | For World Para Alpine Skiing
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker

    With a perfect season behind her - a clean golden sweep at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships, overall crystal globe at the World Cup and an undefeated race streak - there is only one more thing Marie Bochet wants - to improve.

    The French perfectionist was her usual humble self in Morzine, France on the last day of this season’s World Cup competition despite her outstanding record.

    “The globe is very special for me because it shows your consistency as an athlete, but I already also have a few things to work on next,” said Bochet after carrying her undefeated streak through to the last race at the World Cup finals. “It’s nice because when I think of that, I think that I will have more to achieve next season.”

    Bochet has been a role model across the race classes this season with female and male skiers aspiring to replicate her golden journey. The French skier, however, is happy that the pressure of extending her winning streak is over.

    “Every race there is pressure because for every race you have to get gold. You don’t have one race you can rest for,” Bochet said. “I know that the girls are just behind me and not too far, and every time I need to be at the top so I’m very happy to finish this season.”

    There was one globe that Bochet did miss this season, the overall title in slalom, which went to one of her closest friends on the circuit, Canada’s Frederique Turgeon.

    Germany’s Anna-Maria Rieder finished second in the final slalom race in Morzine, with Turgeon’s teammate Alana Ramsay coming in third.

    Sit ski rodeo

    The overall World Cup victories were already assured to Norway’s Jesper Pedersen and Japan’s Momoka Muraoka after the earlier races, but the ever-competitive sit skiers proved unwilling to take it easy in the season’s final race.

    After trailing Jeroen Kampschreur in all five races at the 2019 Worlds, Pedersen got his revenge on the final day of competition where he not only took the overall crystal globe, but also beat the Dutch five-time world champion in his signature slalom by 0.51 seconds.

    “It’s been my big goal all season so it’s just great to be back, especially when I had six months in bed because of the heart infection,” said Pedersen, who was prohibited from skiing until a few weeks before the start of the World Cup season.

    “When I started off in January, I didn’t have that many expectations but of course I always want to be the best and today I showed that I am the best.”

    Kampschreur finished second to Pedersen, with the winner of the first slalom race in Morzine Igor Sikorski of Poland taking the last spot on the podium.

    Japan’s Muraoka also ended the season on a high. Despite coming second to her main rival Anna-Lena Forster in all the slalom races, her consistency across all disciplines this season earned her the overall World Cup title.

    “I did my best so I can get that place,” Momoka said. “It’s a very good season for me and it was my first overall crystal globe.”

    Germany’s Forster topped the overall slalom ranking with her undefeated track record in the discipline, while USA’s Laurie Stephens finished the last race in Morzine in third.

    Major date

    Menna Fitzpatrick and guide Jennifer Kehoe were swept up in a triple celebration on the last day of competition in Morzine. Their victory in the slalom and the quest for the overall crystal globe coincided perfectly with the third-year anniversary of the day when they became the first British skiers to win an overall World Cup title.

    “I think we both changed and grown stronger together,” Fitzpatrick said of the pair’s progress over the last three seasons. “It’s still great to be able to do what we love, to do it with passion and still have fun at the same time.”

    “We know a bit more of what we’re doing,” Kehoe added with a laugh.

    Chocolate-dipped medals

    Winning a bronze in the last race was a pleasant surprise for Robin Cuche who had only one podium finish before Morzine.

    The Swiss standing skier jumped from fifth to third thanks to a solid second run, to land on the podium behind French champion Arthur Bauchet and Finland’s Santeri Kiiveri.

    “I didn’t expect that at the beginning of the season,” said the speed specialist. “Like I said to my coaches yesterday, I ate a little bit too much chocolate this season. Too many fourth places for me.”

    Overall World Cup winner Miroslav Haraus was victorious yet again in the men’s vision impaired. The Slovakian skier and his guide Maros Hudik took wins in both slalom races in Morzine with France’s Thomas Civade and guide Kerwan Larmet following in second.

    Fellow French pair Hyacinthe Deleplace and guide Maxime Jourdan were third in their first World Cup season.

    “It was an incredible season,” Deleplace said. “If you told me [about the medals] at the start of the season, I would tell you, ‘No, it’s not possible,’ but we are here and we have four medals in the World Cup.”

    Related News
    PyeongChang 2018: The brilliance of Bochet
    Six-sational for Bochet and Muraoka
    Scandinavians sweep to victory
    All about Austria on final day in La Molina
    Alpine’s final countdown
    Teamwork makes the dream work!
    Success at last for Igor Sikorski
    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: [email protected]
    02:36:53