Switzerland dominates the Ski World Cup, but Alpine Director Flatscher still sees room for improvement

Hans Flatscher, with Adelboden and St. Anton, 31 of 73 World Cup races have already been completed this season. Switzerland leads the nations' rankings by more than 1500 points ahead of Austria. What is your interim conclusion?

A positive one. We are doing even better than last year, which was already excellent. We achieved 27 podium places in 31 races. In the men's race, we went one better and won almost half of the races. In total, there were four athletes who won the World Cup for the first time. And we are also doing well in the European Cup. All in all, we can be satisfied.

But?

Now we have to try and keep up the pace until the end. We have an intense month ahead of us, always with the World Championships in mind. We need to gather our strength and recharge our batteries for the tasks ahead. We have to make sure that everyone stays healthy and that we can keep the team spirit high.

In the men's speed category, there are an extremely large number of athletes who have achieved top results this season. What do you attribute this to?

The reasons are complex. The fact is: it doesn't happen by itself. You need between five and ten years to build up a team like this. The great continuity in the staff helps - and I don't just mean in the World Cup. We work in a targeted way from the grassroots level with super-G and speed courses, which we run at U18 and U21 level. We are trying to introduce a wide range of people to speed. This is now bearing fruit.

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In slalom, on the other hand, there is a lack of talent. Who will fill the gap one day when Loïc Meillard, Daniel Yule & Co. are no longer racing?

We certainly have a shortcoming in slalom, there's no question about that. There's a bigger and denser crowd racing there. It's correspondingly more difficult to assert yourself. However, we've only been working in slalom for five years with the same intensity as we do in speed. It will therefore take some time before we have a similar density.

The situation is exactly the opposite for the women. Apart from Malorie Blanc and Delia Durrer, there is a lack of talent in speed. In slalom, which was long regarded as a problem child, Wendy Holdener, Camille Rast and Mélanie Meillard are now among the top skiers, and other young athletes are joining them.

You have to bear in mind that women can make the leap to the top of the world faster than men. Big steps are possible from one season to the next, even with some female athletes. And I believe we are capable of that. Our aim is to have an even broader base of young female athletes. But there is a big challenge with the women. Not everyone is prepared to ride at speed anymore. That's why we're doing well to introduce the riders we have in a targeted manner. If there aren't quite as many of them, then that's just the way it is.

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How do you intend to counteract this?

It is important that a breath of fresh air is brought in every year in the form of new faces. Then I'm sure we'll manage the transition. In the men's event, it was also predicted that it would be difficult when Beat Feuz and Mauro Caviezel retired. That's why I'm confident that we'll get our act together with the women.

The World Championships in Saalbach are coming up in February. Thanks to world champion Odermatt, the men are entitled to five starting places in the downhill. However, six racers have already fulfilled the selection criteria. So there will be at least one case of hardship.

We are assuming that we will have more than five downhill racers. Then it will come down to one qualification.

You are a member of the selection committee along with Tom Stauffer (men's head coach) and Beat Tschuor (women's head coach). What are the discussions like? Are there always big discussions?

Each individual athlete is discussed. In cases that are similar, we have to weigh things up. The priority is the medals. The second criterion is the future. In the end, it should be a sporting decision that the athletes can understand.

24 athletes may be selected, but a maximum of 14 per gender. Is it conceivable that Switzerland will travel to Saalbach with 14 men and only ten women?

Theoretically, it is possible. Although it's still difficult to estimate at this stage, I can't imagine that we'll race with such an imbalance.

There are still 17 races to go before the World Championships, including the other classics on the Lauberhorn and in Kitzbühel. The best time of the year for you?

I enjoy it when things are going well. But it's not always a pleasure in the run-up. Because there's also pressure on the boiler. Things are going well at the moment. But that also requires commitment. Expectations are growing every day. Calmness and trust in your people help.