Kucera Has World Downhill Title … But No New Sponsors

It was a year in which he became a world downhill champion, but Canada’s Johnny Kucera wasn’t super impressed with himself.

AP PHOTO

John Kucera won this big one but said it was a mediocre year.

“I guess the best way to describe it is it was a mediocre year with some really awesome days,” said Kucera, who’s currently in Whistler with his teammates training on the Olympic alpine courses.

It might sound self deprecating, but that’s the way Kucera feels. And he’s not the type of guy to sugarcoat things.

“For sure, I put it together on the biggest day of the year and the world championships were obviously a big focus of the season and that’s where I wanted to have my strongest performance – and that’s going to be the same focus heading up to next year and to the Olympic Games,” said the personable Calgary native.

“But I think what a lot of people miss sometimes is there’s a whole World Cup tour around it. My other goals are I’d like to be challenging for an overall championship in World Cup points.

“To do something like that, you have to be consistently strong from the start to the finish. You can’t just do it on one or two big days. So I think next year what I’d like to do is really find that consistency in strong skiing right from the beginning and carry it through the Olympics.”

His victory at the worlds made a big splash at the time, but hasn’t altered the laid back Albertan’s life in any way.

“Nothing’s really changed for me, but I think the perception around me has changed a little bit,” said Kucera. “I notice people take more notice of me and sometimes people spot me on the street, especially in Europe. It’s kind of cool having that new atmosphere around me now, but it doesn’t affect me personally. I’m still the same guy I was the day before the world championships.”

Kucera hasn’t drawn any endorsement offers, even being a world downhill champion in the country that will host the Winter Olympics. In fact, he doesn’t even have an agent.

“Nobody’s approached me with anything. Maybe, you can get the word out,” says Kucera, with a good chuckle.

Perdita On Track: One sure indication that Toronto hurdler Perdita Felicien is getting back to the serious business of track and field – she was in Vancouver last week to get treatment from her ace chiropractor, Dr. Wilbour Kelsick, a guy who’s tirelessly devoted himself to Canada’s athletes for years. Felicien is planning to race three times in three weeks in April.(Read about it here.)

Comments

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