The skiing nation Norway plans to adapt the World Cup calendar to climatic conditions. Maria Höfl-Riesch sees the advantages - but also warns of the consequences.
In the last two years, the start of the season had to be postponed, and the Matterhorn race has now ended. The Norwegians' plan called 'Change the Course' is to turn the racing calendar upside down. This is intended to ensure that fewer races are canceled and skiers have to travel less. The World Cup opener will not take place in Sölden as usual, but in the USA. Since the majority of skiers are preparing for the new season in South America anyway, the first races could take place immediately afterwards. This would avoid another high-emission flight across the Atlantic at a later date. The three-time Olympic champion hopes for improvements for the athletes in terms of regeneration times and training options. She says 'It would certainly make sense to design the calendar in such a way that some trips can be shortened or even avoided'