The ski stars say goodbye to the short Christmas break with the slalom in Alta Badia on Monday. However, the controversial World Cup race triggers discussions.
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- The ski stars say goodbye to the short Christmas break on Monday with a slalom in Alta Badia. However, the race is controversial among skiers and experts.
- On the one hand, the terrain and conditions are the subject of discussion. "With all due respect, but down the bottom, that was high-speed ass-wiggling," complains German Linus Strasser, for example.
- Felix Neureuther also criticized the timing of the race: "A Monday just before Christmas is pretty much the most unsuitable day to hold a World Cup race."
For the ski stars, the last weekend before Christmas is full of action. After three speed races from Thursday to Saturday in Val Gardena/Gröden, the technicians continue on Sunday and Monday in Alta Badia, where a giant slalom and a slalom are on the program.
However, the final slalom on Monday is not met with much enthusiasm by some racers and experts. One reason for this is that the terrain in Alta Badia is not at all suitable for a slalom. "It starts with the fact that although this slope is perfect for hosting a giant slalom, the terrain is not at all suitable for an attractive slalom," explains former slalom specialist Felix Neureuther in Blick.
"High-speed ass wiggling"
Neureuther's compatriot Linus Strasser, who finished a disappointing 17th in the last race before Christmas, expressed a similar opinion. The soft slope was "not worthy of the World Cup". The conditions "could perhaps be more challenging, a bit more water, a bit more ice, then a slope like this would hold up even better," says Strasser, adding: "With all due respect, but down the bottom, that was high-speed ass-wiggling!"
But it's not just the terrain and the conditions that trigger criticism. Neureuther also questions the scheduling of the slalom: "A Monday just before Christmas is pretty much the most unsuitable day to hold a World Cup race. I can't imagine that this slalom will generate good TV ratings. Only a few people will find the time to watch the first run at 10am. And when the decisive run starts at 13.30, most ski fans will also be at work."
More balance between speed and technique?
And finally, Neureuther also addresses the equal opportunities between technical specialists and speed skiers. "I can understand the downhill skiers' anger that there are more slaloms on the World Cup calendar, partly because of this example," says the 41-year-old.
In the current World Cup winter, a total of eleven slaloms are on the program, while only ten downhill races are planned - although the speed races are generally more susceptible to weather-related cancellations. "If this completely unsuitable slalom in Alta Badia were to be canceled without replacement, it would be a first step towards equal opportunities," Neureuther is convinced.
Former downhill racer Beat Feuz agrees: "If the FIS really wants to improve the balance between technical and speed in the calendar, I also think that the slalom in Alta Badia could be the first thing to be scrapped."
