“It cannot continue like this”: Downhill riders make clear demands on the FIS

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Actually, everything must remain secret. But now it has been leaked that the downhill skiers are increasing the pressure on the FIS leadership with an athletes meeting in Kvitfjell. Two athletes per country were present at this meeting on Thursday evening. «It was a great meeting in which everyone made their position crystal clear. And there was great agreement on many points,” reveals Austrian Otmar Striedinger to radio station Ö3.

It is clear that the speed specialists no longer want double descents in the future, as happened this winter at the classics in Wengen and Kitzbühel. “It is also very important for us that we have more say in the planning of the race calendar in the future, because things cannot continue as they did this winter,” added Striedinger’s compatriot Daniel Danklmaier.

The Matterhorn descent is also a problem

In this context, there was of course also discussion about the Matterhorn descent, which could not take place in 2022 and 2023. The conclusion of the summit in Kvitfjell: the majority of athletes demand that the speed start be held again in North America in the future instead of in Zermatt-Cervinia. «I have nothing against doing the Matterhorn descent towards the end of the season or even in the summer. But the last two years have shown that the weather situation in the Matterhorn region in November is too unstable,” French combined world champion Alexis Pinturault said before his injury.

What happens now? Athlete spokesperson Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen will forward the speed specialists’ demands to the decision-makers of the international ski association. Follow-up to follow.

Source : Blick