LARA GUT-BERHAMI is to many just the wife of a former Premier League star.
The 32-year-old is married to former West Ham and Fiorentina midfielder Valon Behrami, whom she tied the knot with in the summer of 2018.
But she’s much more than Mrs. Berhami.
Lara – who is fluent in FOUR languages – is a Swiss alpine ski race sensation who has a slew of major medals in her trophy cabinet.
She participated in her first-ever race at the FIS races at the tender age of age FIFTEEN back in December 2006.
Appearances at the Alpine Youth World Championships and World Cup followed in 2007, with the then-teenager winning silver in the downhill race in the former competition.
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The year 2007 proved to be a successful one for Lara, who became the second youngest Swiss national champion of all time in the super-G.
A slow recovery from a hip would prevent Lara from competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada.
But she would fulfil her dreams four years later when she competed at the Sochi Games in Russia.
And it was at those Games where she picked up her first Olympic medal in the downhill, winning a bronze medal.
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That year’s World Cup would see Lara win the super-G season title and claim a third-placed finish.
Lara claimed a bronze medal in the super-G at the 2017 World Championships, although she would suffer a horrific ACL injury in the ensuing combined event.
After a long and arduous recovery, she returned to action at the 2019 World Championships – although she was a shell of her former self.
But a mere two years later, she claimed gold medals in the Giant Slalom and super-G events.
She would take the winning form into her second Olympics – the 2022 Games in Beijing.
And the tournament proved to be the highlight of her career as she left China with a gold medal after winning the super-G event.
After fulfilling her childhood dream, she said: “I am really happy to have got that gold.
“But you can’t build your life around winning gold.
“I just thought it was probably going to be my last Olympic super-G of my life and I just wanted to show something great. I just wanted to ski.
“I am happy that this time I am fast enough because last time for sure I was fourth and it was always tight.
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“It’s not bad to have the hundredths by my side this time.”
Lara was in World Cup downhill action last Friday, stretching her lead in the heated race for the crystal globe with victory at Crans-Montana.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
