CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Alice Robinson has changed her mind about the Milano Cortina Olympics and is feeling fired up and ready to go for gold in the women's super-G.
New Zealand's most decorated Alpine skier, with three World Cup wins this season after a giant slalom silver at last year's World Championships, had previously indicated a preference for the World Cup crystal globe over an Olympic medal.
"I think now I'm going for the gold medal," the 24-year-old told a news conference on Wednesday after explaining how the excitement of being at her third Olympics was growing on her after just a few hours in the Italian resort.
"I've changed my answer on that one."
Robinson, who could become the first Alpine gold medallist from the southern hemisphere, is second in the super-G World Cup standings and 60 points behind Italy's Sofia Goggia after four of eight events.
Asked in a quick-fire question session on a recent FIS Alpine Pulse podcast whether she would choose globe or gold medal, the seven times race winner had replied "maybe globe".
"It's funny because I think coming into this, thinking about the Olympics for the past year or so, I haven't really thought anything more of it than another race," Robinson said on Wednesday.
"But I think in the last week, kind of seeing the hype around the Olympics and getting the uniforms, I guess I'm starting to feel a bit more of something more special about this race than the other ones.
"It's not in a way that I'm feeling more pressure or more nerves but I think more excitement that this is something special and I really want to be here, put my best foot forward and be a part of it."
Robinson said she would take part in two downhill training sessions, although Thursday's had already been cancelled due to a heavy snowfall on the Olimpia delle Tofane piste, and then leave Cortina before returning on February 10.
She will race the super-G on the 12th and giant slalom on the 15th.
Robinson said she was in good shape after a heavy super-G crash in Tarvisio last month left her physically bruised and mentally shaken.
"I feel good," she declared. "I think for sure it was one of my biggest crashes. Obviously, I'm really grateful and lucky that it wasn't an injury...I think now I'm definitely feeling a lot better.
"I was starting to feel a lot more confident and stable on my skis. My body's feeling like it's probably firing again."
Robinson acknowledged giant slalom had become more of a struggle in the past few weeks but pointed out she was winning races two months ago.
"I know that I've still got it in me to do really well at this race and I know I can still put in a really top performance," she said.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
