Dangerous, ridiculous, a joke?: FIS race director answers Gut-Behrami

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Lara Gut-Behrami’s criticism was harsh. «It was a joke and ridiculous to do such a race. Just crazy,” she muttered last Sunday.

What happened? The woman from Ticino had to fight her way to the finish through a small snowstorm during the second giant slalom run in Mont-Tremblant. Although she eventually improved from third to second place, it was clear to her that the race should have been stopped. In St. Moritz GR she repeats this opinion: “If a race is not fair, it is difficult. But if it’s dangerous… No, we don’t need that.”

Gerdol: “For me it was not dangerous”

Blick confronts FIS race director Peter Gerdol with Gut-Behrami’s criticism. “That’s a bit too much for me,” says the South Tyrolean. He could understand her anger because the race was at the upper limit. “But for me it wasn’t dangerous.”

For Gerdol, one thing is certain: the race was not fair – at least not for everyone. «The wind was very strong for the last ten athletes. Lara was hit by a gust of wind. But that’s our sport: during a descent the clouds can break and someone can suddenly ride in the sun.” You notice it: Gerdol supports the decision of the race jury, which did not stop the race.

Two seriously injured in St. Moritz

Perhaps it is the irony of fate that two athletes were seriously injured not in Mont-Tremblant, but in St. Moritz – in fantastic weather. Italian Karoline Pichler damaged her medial meniscus during the second training session on the Corviglia and will undergo surgery in the coming days.

Even more tragic is the case of Norwegian Inni Holm Wembstad (23). After being injured in a fall in St. Moritz last year, she now flies violently to the entrance of the “White Ribbon”. At the finish she cries bitter tears. She must have torn her ACL.

Gerdol: “I am very sorry for both athletes. You see that something can always happen while skiing, whether the weather is bad or good.”

Source : Blick