Pierre Mortefon has proved himself to be one of the PWA slalom tour’s most consistent podium placers, ranking in the top 3 for the last 5 years. In 2019 he has won the opening rounds of both the slalom and foil PWA tour. The fast Frenchman with eyes on the number one spot in slalom gives us an insight into his world.
OPENING VICTORY
It is amazing to have won the first event of the season in France after a very stressful event. It is always exciting to compete at the first event because you don’t know if your training has paid off. You also have no idea if your competitors will be stronger than you and there are a lot of questions to be answered. It was a very tricky event. Most of the week it was very gusty. It took us six days to grind out one round. I think one of my strong points during the week was that I was able to go into racing mode when I needed to and be fully focussed, but then when we were on hold I managed to relax. It was impossible to stay focussed all week. It was not the easiest event. But it was great to start the season on a positive note and have points in the bag. I would say to win the title you need luck to swing your way and take these victories. It is one step towards the title. I have been making the overall podium for many years, but to take the title you need to win events. That is my plan this year to achieve my goal of a world title.
AMBITION
I really want the world title. I was close a few years ago. In 2016 I was equal points with Antoine at the end of the season. Last year I was prepared and ready for it, but I had my first child, a boy, arrive 15 days before the start of the season and that changed my life quite a bit. This year I feel more ready. Albeau and Matteo are both tough to beat. Albeau has been fighting for 20 years and Matteo is also a great slalom racer and competitor. Matteo had a poor start but this can happen. This year especially there are so many guys that can win a race. In France the level was through the roof. The level really is super high once again.
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