Measuring errors, sabotage or dirty laundry?: guesswork about the disqualification of skier Mowinckel

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There is probably no skier in the Ski World Cup who smiles and laughs as often as Ragnhild Mowinckel (31). But on Saturday at 10.30 am she is completely sad and tears are streaming through her sunglasses. “We’re not trying to cheat. Because that would be the worst thing I could do,” she tells TV2.

What happened? The first part of the answer is simple. The FIS discovered fluorine on the underside of their skis. The product, which repels water and dirt from the surface and thus makes the skis faster, has been banned since this season – according to experts it is harmful to nature and humans.

The FIS therefore introduced a limit of 1.8: if a ski has more, the athlete is disqualified. This is exactly the case with Mowinckels Head slats after the first run. Although the FIS does not release figures, it would have been around 10. “It was so clear that we had no choice but to disqualify the racer,” said FIS race director Peter Gerdol.

Big guesswork

So far so clear. But now things get complicated. How could this even happen? In contrast to the test phase in the summer, a measurement error in the device is probably excluded, because no other skis show elevated values ​​that day. It is also unlikely that Mowinckel’s main agent wanted to cheat. Because: Mowinckel is one of the best drivers ever – it would be remiss to take such a risk. So was it sabotage? Could be. But: Even before, competitors’ skis could easily be damaged.

Therefore, a wax contaminated with fluorine may have been used. Or edited with a brush that still contained traces of fluorine. “We don’t think we made a mistake, but we will analyze everything,” said chief race director Rainer Salzgeber.

“I feel very sorry for Ragnhild,” says SRF expert Tina Weirather. She is good friends with Mowinckel and thinks, “She doesn’t deserve to feel like she’s an imposter.”

Source : Blick