Exactly one year ago, Hailey Swirbul bagged her first World Cup podium. Now, she’s back in exactly the same place, getting ready for exactly the same event. 

ProXCskiing caught up with the 23-year-old Colorado native prior to the upcoming World Cup weekend in Davos on December 11 and 12. 

What does it feel like to be back in the same place where you earned your first-ever World Cup podium? 
“It feels really special. I like racing here in Davos. I like the course, I like the altitude and I like 10-kilometer skate races,” Swirbul says. 

What is so special about the course? 
“It’s a very steady course and it’s at altitude. The climbs are steady grinds, and if you don’t pace them right, you simply can’t recover and come back. But I’m from Colorado and grew up with altitude, so I know you just have to pace yourself differently at altitude,” Swirbul says. 

What was the key to making the podium? 
“I just tried to push evenly and ski hard, even when I was so tired that I couldn’t even see anything.”

Unexpected success
Last year, Swirbul was third in the 10-kilometer skate race at the World Cup in Davos. But prior to the race, there was nothing indicating that this would be her first World Cup podium. 

“I was ready to go home, rather than race. I was homesick and sad, and I was really not in a good place mentally,” Swirbul recalls. 

Feeling everything but ready and excited for the race, Swirbul went to warm up, mostly out of duty, and to get away from the race scene. 

“I was just going to ski easy, ski on parts of the course that I really liked, and focus on taking in the beauty of the area, and get the race over with,” Swirbul explains.

That warmup would change everything. 

“Looking at the creek and the beautiful big trees ended up really grounding me, and made me able to dig really deep in the race,” says Swirbul. 

She walked to the start line feeling calm and collected, rather than nervous. 

“I just raced my heart out. Physically, my body was in good shape, and my skis were amazing. And with the peace of the warmup, I was able to push really hard in the race, and really lean into the pain. It was a very special experience,” says Swirbul. 

“I know that some of the key players were missing last year, like the Swedes and the Norwegians, but I can’t think about it that way.”

Are you nervous about coming back to the same place where you did so well last year? 
“There is certainly some added pressure. But making the podium here last year also gives me some extra confidence. I know I can hang with the best. And every race is a clean slate,” says Swirbul. 

Swirbul is entered for both the sprint race on Saturday and the 10-kilometer skate race on Sunday. 

All about the World Cup in Davos