Watch the girls’ races? Difficult… Ledecká still doesn’t have green from the doctors

You wore the evening dress to the announcement without a brace, how is your recovery going?

I’m glad I can play princess for a while… I took off the brace only three days ago, the movements are a bit stiff. But on Monday I had a control X-ray, which I immediately sent to Innsbruck to the doctor who operated on me. And he said it looks great and I can start warming up my arm. So I’m in the gym every day, hitting my legs. And I’m trying to at least visualize skiing and snowboarding, and I hope that soon I’ll be frolicking on the hill.

But the world championships in snowboarding and downhill skiing are already on the program in February. Is this a realistic goal?

I can’t say, I’m still waiting for the green light from the doctors to go on snow, that’s an important thing for me. I haven’t received it yet, hopefully it will come soon…

How much time would you need to prepare before you start racing?

Realistically, I would need about three months, and in the final it will be about three days…

How are the effects of the injury limiting you now?

I can’t wave too frantically. When I have my hand near my body, it’s completely fine, but I put it at 90 degrees from my body and it pulls. It’s still early, I’ve had the orthosis for almost a month, those muscles haven’t been used and they’re stiff. But I know from the first operation that it went quite quickly.

Do you watch downhill races on TV without you?

Some yes. Especially the boys, that’s cool, I’m used to watching them even during the season. But when I watched the girls’ races, it was a little bit harder… I’m used to watching them, and within minutes I’m going up that hill too. Now it’s so strange, but it’s important for me to see the races, to see how the gates are built, to stay in it…

What did you think of the weekend feat of Italian Sofia Goggia, who broke bones in her hand one day, underwent surgery and won the race the next?

I already have these metacarpal bones removed and I was also on skis the next day. But she is brutal, hats off. I really don’t understand how she was able to recover from the anesthesia, I’m always completely done with her. She is a great fighter, she already proved that when she rode in the Olympics three weeks after breaking her leg. A really sharp competitor.

Are your rivals asking how you are doing?

Yeah, everyone who has my number is so sweet. I follow Sofia, of course Ilka Štuhecová, who also skis Kästle and is my longtime friend. We exchanged a few messages, but the girls are focused on the season and I’m on my recovery.

How do you fill the time when you can’t train fully?

I can catch up with my studies at the University of Finance and Administration. Sometime next year, I would like to write my diploma, make a state certificate and close it. And from a sporting point of view, I try to stick to the regime, to visualize some things. But it’s a really strange period… The biggest shock was the first three months after the injury, when I didn’t know what to do with my time. Now I was able to organize it better.

It must be a big habit for you who love racing…

Heavy… Especially when I was looking at Sofia, how she was back from day to day. And I just had the x-ray and got a message from the doctor that I can start slowly, but the snow still has to wait. That was quite complicated.

In order to compete, you will still need a signed representative contract with the association…

I’m not at every negotiation, that would suck me out. But my legal team is working on it, and as far as I know, it’s getting closer to some sort of successful conclusion. So I hope both parties will be satisfied.

So you are not afraid that you would already be healthy and still not be able to compete?

I haven’t thought about it like that yet. I am quite optimistic and believe that we will come to an agreement.

Will you enjoy the Christmas holidays more now that you can’t train and race fully?

It’s perhaps the first time I was able to enjoy the pre-Christmas atmosphere, look at the lights, get in the mood. I even went to Janko’s concert on Tuesday, he had it in Prague in Doupět, so I thought I had to see it, and it also put me in the Christmas mood. And for probably the first time in my career, I already have all the gifts. However, they are not packaged…

Did you participate in the preparations?

We just had a family assembly, where we decided who would bring which carp, which family their heads would go to to make soup, we discussed who had what duties, almost with an electronic pencil. (smile) Fortunately, I don’t have any, because everyone knows I can’t cook, so I’ll just eat them.

Sure, I love you. Of the Czech ones, probably Cinderella, otherwise I like Santa Claus with Tim Allen the most.