She loves speed, is highly ambitious and always has time for her favourite TV show: in part one of our interview, US ski star Lindsey Kildow talks about her preparations for the season and her career hopes.

In summer, athletes who compete in winter sports disappear from the public scene almost completely. But of course that doesn't mean that you spend your days in front of the television watching your favourite show "Law & Order" 24 hours a day, does it?

(Laughs) Well, actually yes, kind of: I spend most of my time working out in the gym. So that the time I spend there passes more quickly, I always have my video iPod with me so I can watch "Law & Order", of course. Hip hop music also motivates me when I'm training, for example tracks by Jay-Z or Beyoncé.

Besides working out on the machines, do you do any other sports to keep fit in summer?

At home in Park City, I do a lot of cycling on my racing bike. There are a lot of long inclines, which is good for my basic endurance. And I love to play tennis, it's fun and - as a positive side effect - helps improve my coordination skills.

Did you treat yourself to anything out of the ordinary during the summer - a vacation or the luxury of a skiing trip just for the fun of it and without a stopwatch?

I wish I'd had the time for something like that, but ski training is fun for me anyway. And I also went to Hawaii on a fitness training trip with the US ski team. That was also a great experience.

What preparations will you be making in the last few weeks before the World Cup starts?

I want to work specifically on my speed again at training camp in Chile. I'm also studying video clips of my runs from last year in order to see precisely which areas I can improve.

Will you be focusing on downhill and Super-G this season, or do you intend to get into the technical disciplines as well?

I definitely want to improve in the technical disciplines!

Because you're still dreaming of winning the overall World Cup title?

Precisely. But there's still a lot of hard work to do before then. I'll need another couple of years until I'm up to scratch in terms of all-round skills.

Who'll win the World Cup this season?

My money's on Renate Götschl.

Jürgen Skarwan
Lindsey Kildow
GEPA pictures
Lindsey Kildow
Jürgen Skarwan
Lindsey Kildow