Queen Mathilde
Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud is one of the top favourites for ski Slopestyle and Big Air.
Next March, the ski and snowboard freestyling community will meet in the Engadine Valley for their World Championships. Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud is one of the top favourites for ski Slopestyle and Big Air. She secured Olympic gold and won at the X Games. She is the reigning world champion and overall leader in the World Cup. In her interview with Skiservice Magazine, she tells us how the Olympic gold medal changed her life and why she feels tiny in the Engadine Valley.
With just a few months to go until the World Championships in the Engadine, Mathilde Gremaud is the reference to beat. Winning the prelude to the Big Air season in Chur in October, the 24-year-old from Fribourg latches on to her winning streak of the previous winter, where three crystal globes – Big Air, Slopestyle, and Overall – put an exclamation point to a brilliant season. «At the beginning of last season, I focused on the crystal globes, as there were no World
Championships or Olympic Games,» she explains. She is particularly proud of winning the overall ranking, which was a first for her. Previously, she had won the World Cup in individual
disciplines as well as the World Championships, the X Games, and the Olympic Games.
To stay among the best of the best over the entire winter season, one needs to have a strong base, she explains. «You need a bit of luck, too, of course. But laying the groundwork
for such a successful season takes years.» Being fit, knowing how to adapt your gear to the varying snow conditions, many thousands of hours of training and competition routine are
as much part of the package as the mental strength to know you can win. «Being in good form on the competition day is also crucial. If I see one of my opponents having a bad day,
I'm not happy about it. It reminds me that my good form and karma can change anytime.»
Wenige Monate vor der Freestyle-WM im Engadin ist Mathilde Gremaud das Mass aller Dinge: Im Oktober gewann die 24-jährige Fribourgerin in Chur den Weltcupauftakt im ”Big Air” und setzte ihre Siegesserie des Vorwinters fort. Nach einer brillianten Saison hatte sie mit dem Gewinn der Kristallkugeln für Big Air, Slopestyle und den Gesamtweltcup ,ein deutliches Ausrufezeichen gesetzt. «In der letzten Saison hatte ich mich auf die Kristallkugeln konzentriert,
denn es gab keine Weltmeisterschaften oder Olympische Spiele», erzählt sie. Vor allem der Sieg im Gesamtweltcup freute sie, denn die Weltcups der einzelnen Disziplinen hatte sie schon genauso gewonnen wie Weltmeisterschaften, X-Games und Olympische Spiele.Um über einen gesamten Winter bei den Allerbesten zu sein, brauche es eine starke Basis, sagt sie: «Etwas Glück gehört natürlich auch dazu. Aber die Basis für eine solche Saison legt man sich über mehrere Jahre zu.» Die körperliche Fitness, eine perfekte Materialabstimmung für verschiedene
Schneebedingungen und viel Trainings- und Wettkampferfahrung gehören genauso dazu wie die mentale Stärke, sich selbst einen Sieg zuzutrauen. «Auch die Tagesform muss stimmen. Sehe ich einer Gegnerin an, dass sie keinen guten Tag hat, ist das für mich keine Freude. Es erinnert mich daran, dass auch meine Tagesform und mein Karma sich jederzeit
ändern können.»
At 24, the former hopeful has matured into a champion. «In the past, I just relied on my talent. The sport never felt like a chore. I just went with the flow,» Mathilde recalls. In the summer before the Olympic Games in Beijing, she changed tack: «I began working hard, both on and off the snow. Having talent is a good thing – but making it to the top is hard work.» Success proved her right: In Beijing, she won gold in Slopestyle. «The Olympic victory changed my life,» she says of her most significant success yet. «A lot has happened since then. Doors that were previously shut opened, and people began paying more attention to what I said.» Mathilde is a queen in
her sport but modest at heart. «I don't need much to be happy – good food, a decent bed, and working out. Often, it is the little things that give me the most pleasure: painting, reading
a good book, or exercising my grey cells.»
Mathilde can make a living from her sporting career, but she can't rest on the laurels of her Olympic victory. «In the sport I do, with its young fan base, a lot is expected of the athletes
outside of training and competitions.» Gremaud is alluding to the expected presence in social media. Being available 24/7 and being scrutinised can be a burden. That is why, in the summer of '23, Mathilde and her teammates took a very special break. They spent ten days on a
sailing boat cruising the ice-covered fjords of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Where the snow reached the sea, they went ashore and went ski touring. Besides enjoying
the total immersion in nature, they relished the time without a cell phone. Mathilde is keen to counterbalance her commitment to professional sports. «Last winter, aside from practising and competing on the kickers, I did a lot of piste and backcountry skiing. And after the winter season, I went to Whistler and taught kids during their summer camp. Those were fantastic weeks with just girls, sports and games. It did me a world of good.»
Mathilde kann von ihrem Sport gut leben, auf dem Olympiasieg ausruhen kann sie sich aber nicht. «In unserem Sport mit seinen jungen Fans wird von den Athletinnen und Athleten
auch ausserhalb der Trainings und der Wettkämpfe viel verlangt.» Gremaud spielt die Präsenz in den sozialen Netzwerken an. Ständig erreichbar zu sein und beobachtet zu werden, kann
auch zur Belastung werden. So machte Mathilde zusammen mit Teamkolleginnen im Sommer 2023 eine ganz besondere Pause. Auf einem Segelboot kreuzten sie zehn Tage lang
durch einsame Fjorde in Spitzbergen – mitten im Polarmeer. Wo der Schnee bis ans Meer kam, gingen sie an Land und machten Skitouren. Neben der Erfahrung in der Natur genossen
sie es vor allem, längere Zeit ohne Handy zu sein. Auch sonst sucht Mathilde immer wieder die Abwechslung von ihrem Leistungssport: «Im letzten Winter fuhr ich auch neben dem Park sehr viel Ski und machte Skitouren. Und nach der Saison unterrichtete ich in Whistler kleine Kids, in ihrem Summercamp. Das waren tolle Wochen nur mit Mädchen, Sport und Spielen. Es hat mir gutgetan.»
Mathilde can make a living from her sporting career, but she can't rest on the laurels of her Olympic victory. «In the sport I do, with its young fan base, a lot is expected of the athletes
outside of training and competitions.» Gremaud is alluding to the expected presence in social media. Being available 24/7 and being scrutinised can be a burden. That is why, in the summer of '23, Mathilde and her teammates took a very special break. They spent ten days on a
sailing boat cruising the ice-covered fjords of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Where the snow reached the sea, they went ashore and went ski touring. Besides enjoying the total immersion in nature, they relished the time without a cell phone. Mathilde is keen to counterbalance her commitment to professional sports. «Last winter, aside from practising and competing on the kickers, I did a lot of piste and backcountry skiing. And after the winter season, I went to Whistler and taught kids during their summer camp. Those were fantastic weeks with just girls, sports and games. It did me a world of good.»
After her triumph in China, she learned that even an Olympian's batteries would eventually run out: «I got a lot of media attention after winning the gold medal. I was interviewed and invited to events. I enjoyed it. But only when all the excitement was over did I realise how much energy it had
drained,» Mathilde says pensively. «Every appearance and every interview brings up emotions, and the to-do went on well into what was supposed to be my break after the season. Still, over the summer, I followed my usual training routine. When the season began, I realised I had overdone it and
needed a break. I had let my batteries run empty.» Locals and visitors can look forward to great performances from Mathilde in the Engadine Valley. She is one of the top contenders for the women's world champion title at Corvatsch Park and the St. Moritz Olympic ski jump during the second half of March '25. «I am very much looking forward to the special ambience in the Engadine Valley. I took part in my first World Cup competition on that run. It is very special to compete in a World Championships in this place and in front of a home crowd.» The Snowpark at Corvatsch is one of the best in the world. However, Mathilde enjoys the Engadine landscape just as much: «Nature is life,» she says.
«The Engadine mountains are enormous; in comparison, I feel tiny.»
