Alex Bilodeau and Kristi Richards, two of Jenn's closest friends on the tour, took a few minutes to talk about Jenn after wednesday's press conference.
Kristi Richards :
You’ve been on the tour with Jenn for years, can you tell us more about your relationship?
She’s been there throughout my entire career and it’s been amazing to ski alongside her. She’s been such a role model and an inspiration, and I have the utmost respect for her. I’ve had some of my greatest days when I was standing on the podium with her… there’s many times actually, but World Championships in ’07, and World Championships this year… She’s such a driven, strong woman, and I think she’ll be doing great things in her life for sure.
She talked about her regret of not sweeping the podium, do you envision yourself doing it with the younger girls?
I definitely think that it’s possible, more than possible even, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen this year. It’s unfortunate that Jenn wasn’t a part of that. We’re such a strong team, with Chloé and Justine and Andi coming out so, yeah, it’s a great future for our sport definitely.
Do you see yourself taking on the leadership role that Jenn had?
It’s definitely going to be a lot different without Jennifer there, and I’ll be one of the veterans now. A lot of the girls are quite young and inexperienced, so… I’m definitely very open with that, I make sure that I share my experiences and help them accomplish great things as well.
Alex Bilodeau:
Jenn told us she couldn’t imagine the last five years without you. What is your feeling about your relationship?
I sure wouldn’t be where I’m at right now without Jennifer. From the beginning she helped me with her work ethic, even before I started on the World Cup tour in 2005-2006. I wouldn’t be here with that resumé without her. My philosophy is that you learn from the best, and it seems to me I’m training with the best, and there’s no other woman in the world who’s capable of motivating me like Jennifer, be it in the gym or on the slopes. She’s the only woman who can motivate me and manage to push my limits thanks to her work ethic and her desire to win – Jennifer just can’t accept to finish second!
Did you feel something special in the Olympics skiing after Jenn when she had just finished second despite performing beautifully?
Yes of course, since I expected her to win. I was next to her all along her journey to the Olympics and I shared her pain. I was sad but at the same time I was happy with her performance, I was happy for her. She deserved the gold medal just as much as in 2006, then the American (Hannah Kearney) just made an incredible run and won the race, and it’s great for her. But I sure was disappointed for my big sister, but still it’s a great thing she won a silver medal.