What the hell happened in Sölden between Thursday and Saturday?
The question has been around by Rainer Salzgeber in my head constantly for the past few days. Salzgeber has been the race manager of Head, one of the biggest ski brands in alpine skiing, for more than 20 years, but now he is in a new situation.
Head’s distinguished Norwegian skier, two-time Olympic and World Cup medalist Ragnhild Mowinckel was rejected on Saturday in the Sölden giant slalom that opened the World Cup. The FIS test device of the International Ski Federation showed Mowinckel a reading that indicated that the skier’s skis contained prohibited fluoride cream.
– We have been able to prove that the cream used by Mowinckel’s guardian does not contain fluoride, Salzgeber told Urheilu late on Tuesday evening from Kennelbach in Austria.
Head’s headquarters are located in that city, where Mowinckel’s case has been investigated. One possibility has been speculated that the tool used to polish the bottom of the ski was contaminated with fluoride.
– The figure that the FIS monitoring device reported to Mowinckel does not support this claim, Salzgeber said.
– I will not comment on the chapter other than by quoting the general secretary of FIS (Michel Vion), who, as I understand it, had said in the media that it was about eight times over the permitted limit value.
The FIS raised the limit from 1.0 to 1.8 three days before the start of the competition season, further raising questions about the reliability of the FIS test equipment. If the reading obtained from Mowinckel’s skis were eight times over the permitted limit value, it would be exactly 14.4, i.e. more than in high-fluorine creams.
It is not about an incorrect number given by a single measuring device. According to Salzgeber, the matter was confirmed when the monitoring device purchased by the Norwegian Skiing Association received a fluoride reading in a test carried out after the race, which corresponded to the official FIS result for its size class.
However, the fluorine devices launched by FIS have given higher readings of fluorine-free creams than Mowinckel’s skis in tests done in Finland.
– The ski in Mowinckel’s test gave a value of 0 for the tip and 0.6 and 0.99 for the back. The high reading was below mono, Salzgeber said.
– We only know what we have done, but we have no idea where the reading that caused the rejection came from.
First green, then red
According to Salzgeber, Head had 16 ski guardians working at the Sölden World Cup.
Mowinckel’s skis were the sole responsibility of the Norwegian maintenance man, who had taken Mowinckel’s race skis and his maintenance equipment to the testing event organized by FIS on Thursday.
No problems occurred.
According to Salzgeber, after Thursday’s test, the racing suits were in maintenance mode until Friday afternoon. At that time, the maintenance man prepared the skis for race condition on Thursday with approved products and took them to the back of his car, where they were the night between Friday and Saturday.
– We do not have a device to measure the fluoride concentration in the space, in this case the car. We can only clean the space according to FIS instructions. However, all cars and ski bags had been cleaned.
The next day, Mowinckel got a positive result in a fluoride test after his opening bill. According to Salzgeber, Head also had other skiers whose skis had the same lubrication as Mowinckel. The skis of these athletes passed the FIS test. Head’s counter that won the race Lara Gut-Behrami was not included in this group.
– Mowinckel’s case is our main priority. We’ve spent our energy figuring that out, not talking about Gut’s win. Our custodians are concerned, as we all are, Salzgeber said.
No own device
In alpine skiing, ski brands have a more important position at competition venues than national federations. However, of the two, the national federations are the ones that have purchased monitoring equipment approved by the FIS and manufactured by a US company.
According to Urheilu’s information, the Norwegian and Austrian ski federations have both purchased nine devices, the price of which is 30,000 euros per unit.
In the technical sports of alpine skiing, the effect of fluorine creams is minimal, because the skis are mainly on the edge and the bottoms of them do not slide against the snow. In addition, the slopes are frozen before the race. Partly for this reason, ski brands have not considered it appropriate to invest in equipment.
The opening race of the season changed Head’s mindset at least.
– We are going to get two devices, even if they don’t measure the fluoride content correctly. We have to be 100% sure that our athletes and maintenance crew can operate without any worries right before the start. Saturday’s events must not be repeated, Salzgeber said.
Raised rule Puri own
Mowinckel’s case is special in that the coach of the Norwegian scorer is Atle Skårdal. The FIS appointed Skårdal to handle the preparations for the fluoride ban in alpine skiing in 2019. Skårdal handled the task until 2021. In addition, the FIS chairman Johan Eliasch is Head’s CEO.
– As far as I understand, he (Eliasch) was informed that it was a human error, but I texted him that this is not the case, Salzgeber said of the two’s brief exchange of messages.
Although the FIS announced that it would introduce a fluoride ban, there is no mention of Mowinckel’s rejection on the federation’s website. The big question is whether Mowinckel’s case will remain internal to the union or whether it will proceed to higher courts.
If Mowinckel or others involved appeal the disqualification to the FIS disciplinary body and are not satisfied with its decision, the International Court of Appeal for Sport, CAS, may end up dealing with the validity of the FIS fluoride test.
For example, a lawyer familiar with sports law Olli Rauste strongly criticized FIS’s approach in preparing the fluoride ban.
Salzgeber does not rule out legal action.
– I hope that no one finds themselves in such a situation. “Maybe the best option would be to take the case to court, but right now we just want to know why this happened,” Salzgeber said.
The prioritization is understandable, because the World Cup continues already on November 11. According to Salzgeber, next weekend will be spent in a simulation of the events in Sölden.
– We are going to do things exactly the same way and see what kind of results we get. In addition, we are looking for a laboratory where skis can be thoroughly examined.
According to Salzgeber, the FIS employees responsible for fluoride testing in Sölden had said that no other calculator came close to getting a positive test result.
– Maybe we just need luck in the future. It’s not a very comforting situation to go into the race, Salzgeber said.
The Women’s Giant Slalom World Cup continues in Killington, USA on November 25. Before that, Salzgeber wants one thing from the FIS: to restore Mowinckel’s status in the draw of starting numbers.
Mowinckel was seventh fastest in the opening round of the race in Sölden, but the disqualification dropped him from the points. It meant dropping from the first group to the second group in the drawing of starting numbers. That, in turn, weakens the Norwegian’s chances of success in Killington.