
Victor Lovera: From Almost Quitting to Olympic Silver
Victor Lovera almost quit skiing. Now he has an Olympic silver medal, a place in the French relay team, and a training base in Norway. This week, Jimmy’s childhood friend and French Olympic medalist Victor Lovera joins Mika and Jimmy in Lillehammer to talk about the decision that changed his career. After finishing outside the top ten in the Olympic individual skate, Victor decided he needed something new. He moved to Norway, joined Jimmy’s training environment, and pushed his training volume further than ever before. We start with the important things: Norwegian autumn weather, Jimmy’s worst session of the year, and Victor’s first proper experience of Lillehammer. Mika is enjoying unusually warm October weather in Ramsau, Jimmy is preparing for minus twelve, and Victor is learning that Norway can be beautiful, brutal and occasionally both at the same time. Then we get into Victor’s ambitious training week: around 138 hours, 45 kilometres of running, skating sessions, and a plan that worked brilliantly—until a cold, a fall and a sprained ankle arrived. Victor explains why he would do it again, what he learned about recovery, and why he is willing to take risks while chasing the next Olympics. Mika and Victor also debate the difference between making a change and taking a stupid risk. Is a huge volume week smart preparation, motivation or just unnecessary suffering? Victor argues that change was necessary to move beyond a top-20 level; Mika argues that risk should not be confused with bad planning. We also discuss the French team’s altitude setup, including time in Tignes and sleeping at around 3,000 metres in the Alps. Victor explains why altitude has become a bigger part of France’s preparation and how the team balances it with training and recovery. Then we get into the Olympic relay. Victor takes us through the stress of watching his teammates race, starting against Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, being terrified of falling on the downhill, and finally carrying the French flag across the line for silver. He also explains why the French team celebrated properly afterwards—and why he thinks that mattered. Other topics include: The Swedish federation’s attempt to prevent neutral Russian athletes from competing at the World Championships in Falun. Whether national federations should be able to interfere with FIS and CAS decisions. Rumors around Alexander Bolshunov’s possible return and neutral status. Why Victor’s results can swing from Continental Cup struggles to a seventh place at the World Cup. The difference between strong and weak Continental Cup courses. Free skiing coverage in the United States and why the boys think it could be a major win for the sport. Whether roller skiing belongs in the World Cup. Victor’s dream session: a 200-kilometre bike ride in the Alps with Jimmy and old friends. Expect Olympic nerves, training debates, French stereotypes, questionable hotel reviews, and at least one discussion that starts with skiing and ends somewhere completely different. 🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO “SKIRIOUS PROBLEMS” ON: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1nVdyND Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast RSS Feed: https://anchor.fm/s/ed0abed0/podcast/rss YouTube: /@skiriousproblems 🤳🏼 FOLLOW US: Skirious Problems: @skirious_problems Mika Vermeulen: @mikaa_ver James Clugnet: @jimmycluggz
