The athletes hope that the alpine skiing season would start a month later instead of October. Kalle Palander would make one change to the early season competition program.
Joel Sippola,
Heikki Ali-Hokka
The new winter sports season kicked off today when the women’s giant slalom race was held in Sölden, Austria. The veteran from Switzerland styled it to victory Lara Gut-Behrami eight hundredths ahead of Italy Federica Brignone.
Sölden has traditionally been the opening race of the Alpine Skiing World Cup season, but in recent years the race event held in the Alps has had challenges due to bad weather. The men’s super slalom race had to be canceled in Sölden in 2017 as well.
In recent years, climate change has caused problems for the competition calendar of other winter sports, especially in the early season. For example, last season, Nordic skiing and biathlon competitions had to be canceled at the beginning of the year due to a lack of snow.
Many alpine skiers have long been of the opinion that the season should start a month later. The Levi slalom races will be contested in two weeks.
– However, there are good conditions in the spring. It’s unbelievable that the start of the season is forced to the end of October when the glaciers are in such bad shape, Urheilu’s alpine skiing expert Kalle Palader cry out.
Palander reminds that, for example, the methods related to the preservation of snow have developed over the years. However, big business forces guide when and where the opening of the season should be attempted.
– This is only a problem with glaciers. It should be moved, but the ski companies insist that the winter season starts as soon as the summer sports give way. Then we forcefully start pushing winter sports. It’s business, Palander reminds.
1. Lara Gut-Behrami SUI 2.18.94
2. Federica Brignone ITA + 0.02
3. Petra Vlhova SVK + 0.14
4. Sara Hector SWE + 1.10
5. Marta Bassino ITA + 1.19
6. Mikaela Shiffrin USA + 1.40
7. Valerie Grenier CAN + 1.45
8. Mina Fürst Holtmann NOR + 2.00
9. Alice Robinson NZL+2.48
10. Franziska Gritsch AUT + 2.58
43. Erika Pykäläinen FIN
“I almost cry”
Palander says that moving the start of the season by a month would serve the athletes. Still in Sölden, many athletes are unfinished.
The use of resources is emphasized from the beginning of the season, when there are hardly any snowy places for giant slalom.
– Even now, the level differences in the women’s race were terrible. I myself remember that Sölden always came too early. In Argentina and Chile you can ski in the fall. Only big teams with a lot of money can do that.
According to Palander, it would be better if the season started with slalom instead of giant slalom.
– You should start with slalom. The slalom boys and girls are fine this time of year. On the other hand, you can practice giant slalom so little at this time of the year.
Average temperatures in Sölden have risen by almost three degrees in more than 40 years. Palander, who was on his first glacier camp in 1995, is dismayed by the situation.
– You almost cry when you see the state of the glaciers. We have broken this ourselves. We are late for glaciers. You just have to adapt to the situation in some way, how to somehow utilize the storage snow and the snowmaking system together.
The first fluoride rejection
This year, the international skiing federation FIS has also banned the use of fluoride creams in alpine skiing. The rule is also valid in other FIS sports, i.e. cross-country skiing, combined, ski jumping, snowboarding, freestyle and freeski.
Norwegian Raghnhild of Mowickel became the first alpine skier in Sölden Saturday’s race to be disqualified due to an excessive amount of fluoride.
– It’s quite expected that one will definitely be caught. I was afraid it’s not Swiss or Austrian. Then there would have been a big uproar and an event. Norway is a big alpine country, but it is not the capital of the sport, like Switzerland and Austria, says Palander.
Read more: In alpine skiing, the week before the start of the season is in full swing
Athletes have criticized that the FIS’s current monitoring system is not reliable. As a result of the competition, it was found that the amount of fluoride in Mowickel’s skis was so high that it was lubricated with fluoride cream.
According to the Norwegians, they haven’t had fluoride cream in ages. According to the Norwegian alpine skiing team, they themselves have a cream testing system in place.
Palander says that there will be a heated discussion about this during the season.
– That will be a terrible conflict. It’s quite a salad. It will be a bitter disappointment, as the athletes feared.