Alpine Skiing World Cup –
The falls never end on the Streif
The helicopter was not idle in Kitzbühel. More than a dozen athletes fell during the super-G on Friday. Enough to tarnish the atmosphere.
Published today at 2:33 p.m.
Alexis Pinturault (here at the super-G inspection) was airlifted after his fall. This was not the only evacuation of the day.
AFP
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An infirmary that continues to fill up as the races go on: alpine skiing is definitely far from erasing its dangerousness. The Kitzbühel super-G saw almost fifteen skiers unable to reach the finish line. Alexis Pinturault, which dissected the problem of serious injuries before the first departureis one of those who fell. Under the eyes of his partner and his almost 1-year-old daughter, the Frenchman was evacuated by helicopter.
The diagnosis was communicated Friday afternoon by the French Ski Federation: “large bony contusion of the internal tibial plateau with associated fracture as well as an injury to the internal meniscus.”
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The scene has a taste of déjà vu. The Frenchman had crashed in Wengen a year earlier, seriously injuring his knee. This time, he was the victim of a gate which put several skiers out of the race. Dominik Paris, Florian Loriot and Lukas Feurstein included. “We really come across the holes on the descent,” explains Justin Murisier. We arrive at almost 100 km/h in holes that are square, and we take a big shock. The Valaisan sees nothing dangerous in it, just a bit of bad luck. “We all try to push to play in front,” he adds.
Less experienced on the circuit, Arnaud Boisset thinks that the spring temperature has played tricks. “We hear the helicopters arriving, and we know that the runway is dangerous in certain places. For a moment, I must admit that I no longer wanted to go there.” He waited for many minutes in the starting gate.
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And if the problem of racing safety has been debated for years, the heavy falls reinforce the urgency. “This is an area that we take very seriously,” says Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski Federation (FIS).
He talks about airbags, cut-proof clothing and the need to improve helmets. “Skiing can be a dangerous sport and always will be,” he concedes. But there are things we can do to mitigate the consequences of falls.” Until next season? “Yes of course.” Hoping that the infirmary doesn’t fill up even more by then.
Rebecca Garcia is a journalist in the sports section. Holder of a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Neuchâtel, she is particularly interested in alpine skiing and the economics of sport.More info
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