Travel madness in the ski circus: Swiss women fly 18,600 kilometers for a training camp

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Travel madness during the World Ski Championships? Although there is plenty of snow in Europe, several women’s teams will fly to the USA this week for a ten-day speed training camp. To be precise: to Copper Mountain in the state of Colorado.

“The training conditions there are almost ideal, while here on the Matterhorn we saw how complicated the weather is,” said Austrian women’s head coach Roland Assinger. His downhill riders won’t compete in a race in North America – they’ll fly back to Europe without a serious fight.

More stable conditions than in Europe

Austria is not alone. The teams from the US, Germany and Switzerland will also pitch their tents in Copper Mountain, spend thousands of francs and fly 18,600 kilometers (round trip) to optimally prepare for the races in the Engadine GR. A madness? Swiss alpine director Hans Flatscher says: “We cannot demand that our athletes give everything but not offer them the best training opportunities.”

That’s how all the top teams think. Yet the whole thing leaves an uncomfortable feeling. Finally, the World Ski Association FIS preaches as a mantra that environmental protection is the highest priority. “In the future, you should look at the race and training planning combined before creating a calendar,” says Swiss Ski director Diegoüger.

Lake Louise before heading back to the ski circus?

We remember: The FIS came under criticism in the fall because the men’s entourage flew to the US twice this winter for races: in December (Beaver Creek) and in February (Aspen). This causes many people to frown.

After all, a solution could come quickly. Which? That the races in Lake Louise (Ka) – as early as 2024 – return to the World Cup. Flatscher is optimistic: “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want that. In the past, people often laughed at the slopes and talked about cross-country skiing competitions. But that has changed – the races there are exciting, attractive and in Europe they are held in the evenings at prime time.”

The FIS race director also has a clear opinion

For this to work, the Canadian Ski Association must first get the funding for races in Banff National Park back on track. If he makes it, Swiss-Ski and the other associations can race overseas after the training camp in Copper Mountain as before. “That would be ideal, because the athletes would then be very well prepared,” says women’s head coach Beat Tschuor.

The start of the women’s season could look like this: Sölden (Austria), Zermatt/Cervinia, Lake Louise, Killington (USA) or Mont-Tremblant (Ka), St. Moritz. “It would be perfect if we could hold speed races in North America again,” says FIS race director Peter Gerdol.

Suter: “I think that’s a shame”

And the drivers? Lara Gut-Behrami doesn’t miss Lake Louise because the slope doesn’t favor particularly strong female engineers. “As far as I’m concerned, we never have to go there again,” says the Ticino resident. Everyone else wants Canadian racing to return to the World Cup.

«Lake Louise is one of my favorite routes. “I find it very sad that we no longer ski there – the slopes are good and the atmosphere is special – I really like that,” says Olympic champion Corinne Suter.

Source : Blick