Is Osis now drying up in the national rankings?: Here’s why Holdener’s exit hurts even more

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What has been feared for years has now happened. Wendy Holdener is one of the “big four” of the Swiss women’s team. Your failure is hard, very hard. Because: currently only Lara Gut-Behrami, Corinne Suter and perhaps Michel Gisin are capable of taking places on the podium. For everyone else, getting into the top 3 will be a surprise. In slalom at least, Swiss ski enthusiasts will have to prepare for dark months ahead.

Defending the Nations Cup will also be a challenge for Swiss-Ski. The Austrians with a wide field, as well as the Italians with their trump cards Goggia and Brignone, have a clear path because Holdener, the 1000-point rider, is out.

On the one hand, this is annoying, but on the other hand, the association should not be surprising. Why? First, in the sport of skiing, no athlete almost ever ends his career without a serious injury – not even Holdener, as it turns out. Secondly: it has always been clear that the ice on Swiss-Ski is too thin for women, especially in technical disciplines. Maillard and Rast would have the potential to close the gap on Holdener in the slalom – both Valais women were huge talents but were under too much pressure early in their careers. Consequences? Injuries and illnesses – they lost important years.

At the same time, very young Swiss women are not yet ready for great success. The forward-thinking director of Swiss Ski, Walter Reusser, recognized the problems many years ago and took the right measures: they work with money, patience and specialist knowledge. But it will still be some time before you can reap the fruits. Holdener’s failure hurts even more.

Source: Blick