Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, who is part of the Norwegian alpine team, thinks that the changes are good in principle, but does not consider them very significant.
In the speed sports of alpine skiing, bad falls were seen in the season that ended.
For example by Alexis Pinturault and by Marco Kohler the seasons ended with violent eliminations in the Wengen super giant slalom, and the next day in the steeplechase Aleksander Aamodt Kilde drifted off the track and flew into the safety fences.
31-year-old Kilde received a deep wound in his calf that reached almost to the bone. His return to the competitive slopes is still shrouded in mystery.
After the terrible falls, the International Ski Federation FIS has decided on new safety regulations for the coming season.
Starting next winter in super giant slalom and downhill should be used airbags in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympics.
According to the FIS, airbags have proven to be a valuable means of increasing the safety of speed runners. The airbags intended for use by alpine skiers were originally made for motorcycling, but they have been modified to suit the sport.
A sensor connected to the GPS a thousand times per second detects if the calculator is about to fall over and activates the airbag.
In addition, FIS appeals to athletes to use cut-resistant underwear in the future, which could have mitigated the injuries suffered by Kilde, for example. The International Skiing Federation aims to make cut-resistant outfits mandatory for the 2025-2026 season.
Member of the Norwegian alpine team Adrian Smiseth Sejersted thinks that the changes are fundamentally good, but does not consider them very significant.
In his opinion, it would be more important to increase the air permeability of the competition outfits, which would slow down the speed of the competitors.
– If the average speed were to slow down by, say, 5-10 kilometers per hour, it wouldn’t be noticed in the TV pictures, but the risk of injury would decrease, Sejersted told the Norwegian newspaper for VG.
A lot of Alpine Skiing World Cup speed races had to be canceled early in the season, so the canceled races were added to the race calendar along with other weekends.
Overcrowded race weekends drew criticism in the winter, as many saw them exhausting skiers and leading to crashes.
– I hope this is the last time ever when three races are held in a row, one of the biggest stars in men’s alpine skiing Marco Odermatt would talk.