by ToddW » Thu Sep 24, 2020 6:52 pm
Jim,
There’s a difference between having strong technique that “anyone” can develop and having the physical and mental biological gifts of a world class athlete. In the 2nd run of her gold medal race, she damned near lost her left ski, but saved the turn, her acl, and her speed. And the on-air commentators remarked about how loudly she was grunting with every turn. That was a different era with different gear. Could she have put in an even more impressive performance using modern World Cup technique / PMTS? It’s quite likely, but that doesn’t detract from her performance that day.
Lawyers often say that exceptional cases — the hard ones that we all hear about — make bad law. There are extraordinarily successful skiers who have their own quirky style often due to their personal physical limitations or gifts (tight hips/limited counter, limited eversion rom, or god-given superhuman flexibility). You’ve probably heard it before, but in special circumstances Harald has taught gifted athletes to turn with rotation and to do other “taboo” things. It would be a mistake to think that Armstrong knows what made her win or how to get other (closer to average) people’s bodies to do it.
I do respect the fact that Armstrong took the time to interact with you.
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