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What challenges winter sports are facing in the Corona season

2020-11-18T23:57:17.123Z


With world cups of ski racers, ski jumpers and bobsledders, winter sports really get going. The worries before the start of the season are completely different than usual. The most important questions and answers.


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Karl Geiger, here in Innsbruck in January 2020

Photo: 

Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images

Which competitions are taking place this Corona winter?

Despite the pandemic, skiers and sled athletes are preparing for an extensive winter competition.

The alpine ski aces have already mastered the start in Sölden and are facing the second weekend with women's slaloms in Levi.

The ski jumpers start the World Cup in Wisla, the bobsled in Sigulda, the ski freestylers in Stubai.

Next week it's the turn of the biathletes in Kontiolahti.

In order to minimize contacts, the calendars have been modified so that this winter, for example, alpine women and men hardly have any races together.

The Ruhpolding biathlon races have been moved to Oberhof, where a double event is due in January.

For the speed skaters, however, all World Cups as well as the World Cup and the Olympic test in Beijing - unlike the EM - have been canceled for the time being.

What are the highlights waiting for the athletes despite the pandemic?

For many associations, a World Cup is the decisive event in order to generate income.

That is why the world championships for alpine ski racers are to take place in Cortina, those for biathletes in Pokljuka and the freeski and snowboard championships in Zhangjiakou, China.

The downhill run in Kitzbühel is also on the calendar.

In addition to the traditional Four Hills ski jump tournament, the Nordic team will also attend the home World Championships in Oberstdorf.

How do the athletes start the season?

The athletes try to concentrate only on the sport - which is hardly possible given the circumstances.

"There is a little lack of lightness," says five-time biathlon world champion Arnd Peiffer.

"We are here under strict conditions, we have a very strict hygiene concept, that doesn't make it all that relaxed." Slalom rider Lena Dürr wants to ignore the trappings, "but somehow you have it in the back of your head."

Snowboarder Ramona Hofmeister gives "relatively little thought to it because I can't change it".

How do athletes protect themselves against the virus?

The German athletes, trainers and supervisors want to minimize the risk of infections with strict hygiene concepts.

Intensive and frequent tests, for example before and after each competition, are just as much a part of it as the mask discipline.

In addition, in many sports the athletes are divided into small groups, live together or always share a car.

Cross-country skiers want to stay in small huts instead of hotels at the World Cups.

This is to ensure that only a few athletes have to be quarantined in the event of an infection and that the entire team does not have to be isolated.

"If everyone helps, we can do it well," says ski racer Marlene Schmotz.

How big is the additional organizational effort this winter?

Huge.

The German Ski Association (DSV) is investing around one million euros in logistics to test the athletes across Europe.

The world federation FIS organizes charter flights, about this week for the alpine from Zurich to Finland.

The ski jumpers will also be flown from Munich to Finland for the World Cup in Ruka next week, after which the charter will continue to competitions in Russia and Slovenia.

“This means that the same people are always on the plane and in the hotel together.

There is a very, very good chance that it will work, ”says national coach Stefan Horngacher.

What's changing for fans?

It will be difficult to watch competitions on site.

In Oberstdorf, according to the organizers, 2000 to 2500 fans should be able to follow the Nordic World Ski Championships live.

The New Year's jump of the Four Hills Tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is planned without a spectator, as is the World Cup downhill on the Kandahar.

The fans in front of the TV should continue to get their money's worth.

"If there are no spectators, I will try to inspire the fans on TV," says ski jumping world champion Markus Eisenbichler.

The TV coverage is essential for the course of the winter and for the sponsorship income of the associations.

Viewers have to get used to the fact that, due to travel restrictions, presenters and experts are increasingly broadcasting from the TV studio and not from on site.

Icon: The mirror

ara / dpa

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2020-11-18

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