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Did the Swiss meet the high expectations in St. Moritz? No. Lara Gut-Behrami’s third place in the Super-G is nice, but only three top 10 places in two races are not enough. “Especially in the corners, where the technicians made the difference, some people were not determined enough. I expect a response next weekend,” says head coach Beat Tschoor. There’s a chance to do that in Val d’Isère – there’s a descent and a Super-G coming up.
Despite the disappointment, Tschuor is also relieved. Why? Because none of his athletes had to leave the Engadin in a helicopter or ambulance. Of course that is not the case. Because: In just four days (two practices, two races) five drivers were seriously injured: Nina Ortlieb (27, Austria), Elisabeth Reisinger (27, Austria), Elena Curtoni (32, It), Karoline Pichler (29, It) and Inni Holm Wembstad (23, no.).
“Dizzy on skis”
What is going on? When you talk to those responsible for the team, it quickly becomes clear: every injury is self-inflicted. But there are aspects that play a role. Tschoor says: “I don’t want to talk about bad luck with such a concentration of accidents. The fact is that determining a course at high speed is difficult in poor visibility.”
This was exactly the case in St. Moritz: on Friday with light snowfall and on Saturday from start number 30, the race was stopped shortly afterwards. ÖSV head coach Roland Assinger says: “In St. Moritz there are no trees due to the height and therefore hardly any contrast for the runners. Without sun there is hardly any view of the ground. It’s no different than an amateur skier: you feel a little dizzy on the skis.”
Blue lines not dark enough?
In such cases, the blue food coloring sprayed on the track is useful for the speed cracks. On Friday evening, some team bosses complained that horizontal stripes also had to be applied. This request was heard. “Unfortunately, the quality of the product did not seem particularly good to me; the lines were not dark enough,” says Gianluca Rufli.
The Italian team boss mentions another aspect: “The first speed weekend of the season is always difficult because the drivers finally want to show what they can do.” This time the athletes had to wait a particularly long time due to the cancellations on the Matterhorn.
Will the situation improve? In any case, the starting signal has been given. The next appointment will take place soon in Val d’Isère.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
