HPSNZ Update spoke with Alice, her coaches Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe, along with HPSNZ performance nutritionist Carolyn (Caz) Cruden and performance psychologist Mariane (Maz) Wray. Four words kept recurring as each of them talked about the Milano Cortina campaign – BAU, normalising, formalising and experience.
At the head of the team is Alice herself. While only 23 years old, she is a seasoned and highly experienced campaigner as she heads into another World Cup season and her third Winter Olympics.
Alice describes the next seven months as being crazy with a big gym block currently underway before she gets back onto the snow in New Zealand and then heads to the northern hemisphere for the World Cup circuit which, this season, has the additional importance of contributing to Olympic qualification.
“On the one hand the World Cup circuit is what we do every season,” says Alice. “In an Olympic season though the results contribute to racing start positions based on World Cup results.”
Alice, who is currently ranked second in Giant Slalom and in the top 20 in the two speed events – Super G and downhill – says focusing on the familiarity of the circuit is an important means of managing stress as she knows all too well the hype and extra noise that will inevitably surround the Olympics.
With more than eight Winter Olympics between them, coaches Nils and Tim are extremely experienced and form the backbone of the team who travel each season with Alice, a group which is now going into its third season together.
“There is definitely more of a familiarity mindset for these Olympics which is very different to Alice’s two previous Games in PyeongChang and Beijing,” says Nils.
What the coaching team are working on is continuing Alice’s outstanding form from last year where she recorded podium finishes for every Giant Slalom race except three dnfs.
“We want to normalise Alice’s World Cup campaign which will help her be relaxed and ski her best. She’s competing against girls she races every season on slopes she’s very familiar with.”
Tim, who drives Alice’s return to snow and associated technical drills and exercises, says the focus is very simple. “We focus on what she is doing well and provide an environment to allow her to excel,” says Tim.
At this stage in her campaign cycle, Alice is working closely with her ski and boots sponsor and supplier, Salomon, testing different boots, skis and plates. “Alice is fortunate that because she is in the top group of skiers, she receives a huge amount of support from the Salomon factory who build skis just for her,” says Tim.
In addition to the training block in the gym and on snow, Alice is also working closely with two important HPSNZ support team members – performance nutritionist Caz and performance psychologist Maz.
Nils describes the work with Caz and Maz as being critical to the “little 1%ers” that will make a very big difference for Alice.
Some of those 1%ers are firmly locked behind closed doors says Caz. “There are areas we are working on with Alice from a nutrition perspective that we won’t talk about as they are important to giving her an edge over her competitors.”
However, during the domestic season, Caz is also working with Alice trialling new foods and sports supplements to support energy levels on the slopes. “Alpine skiing imposes very high energy demands each run so we need to be mindful of ensuring this energy is replaced regularly.”
A second work area for Caz is what she calls flavour and texture fatigue. “The domestic season is a good time to test food to overcome these fatigues which is essential because she is snacking all the time.”
Performance Psychologist Maz describes Alice as experiencing similar thoughts and responses to other high performance athletes, and a key priority is to support her with ways to hold her mindset on the mental practices that consistently support her ability to perform.
“Alice is such an experienced athlete and understands the mental demands of her craft. Supporting her to utilise the skills she already has, to remain focused on the tactical aspects of her race is always a focus and always developing.”
Working with Alice’s tight team is also an integral aspect, especially when the team is on the World Cup circuit. An important aspect of this season and the inclusion of the Olympic events is to keep the routines and practices as similar and consistent as possible.
All Alice’s team members recognise the value of what is now an experienced team surrounding her.
“It is a great team, and the relationships that Alice has built with her tight team are equally important to her performance. The team has been together long enough to know what’s expected and to anticipate needs,” says Maz.
“Importantly though, the best way we can support her is to focus on BAU, to reinforce the familiar and make things as ‘usual’ as possible.”
