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Felix Neureuther has an idea for winter skiing - and immediately gets a heavy headwind

2021-10-22T07:41:00.892Z


Felix Neureuther is a legend in German skiing. Now he has voiced an idea - and is directly infected with it.


Felix Neureuther is a legend in German skiing.

Now he has voiced an idea - and is directly infected with it.

Munich - Felix Neureuther has received a lot of calls in the past few days.

Not all, says the former ski racer, were pleasant.

Especially not from Austria.

Jack Falkner, the managing director and co-owner of the mountain railways in Sölden, let Neureuther know clearly on the phone what he thought of his criticism of the glacier races.

The World Cup kick-off has been taking place on the Rettenbachferner at the end of October for around 30 years.

It is an important economic factor for the place, for the whole valley.

The ski industry once campaigned for such an early start to winter to boost the Christmas business.

And now Neureuther comes and thinks that all of this is no longer in keeping with the times.


Felix Neureuther: Later start of the season for alpine skiing

This is where interests collide. After the pandemic lockdown, Sölden is happy that the World Cup can take place again this time almost like it used to. A few fewer spectators than before Corona are allowed to go up to the glacier for the giant slaloms for women on Saturday and men on Sunday. But there is an audience again, hotels and guesthouses are full. In contrast to last year, when the races had to take place without spectators. Neureuther understands, “and I don't want to take them away from them,” he says. “Sölden is doing a great job.” He should know, as he was there himself for many years.


He has now tried to explain that to Falkner and the other excited callers, but also that one has to discuss whether such a season opener might not be better three weeks later, closer to winter.

"You would then of course have to set up the entire World Cup calendar from scratch," says Neureuther.

The later start of the season, however, would have the advantage that the athletes would not have to start snow training at the end of July or in August at the latest.

"Then September would be enough."


Despite Neureuther's criticism: glacier race in Sölden - "a classic"

DSV alpine director Wolfgang Maier agrees with Neureuther in principle that one must focus on the ecological issue.

But he goes "a little differently" because he is right in the middle and does not look at it from the outside, like Neureuther meanwhile.

He has no problem with the glacier race in Sölden at the end of October, says Maier.

"This is a classic."

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The season opener for ski racers takes place in Sölden at the end of October.

© Johann Groder / AFP

When the world federation started organizing World Cup races in autumn on Alpine glaciers at the end of the 1980s, the enthusiasm among the athletes, coaches and supervisors was not particularly great because the date fell in the middle of preparation.

“In the meantime you have got used to it,” says Maier.

"You take it as an orientation."

Stefan Luitz: "With attack and self-confidence" at the giant slalom in Sölden

This is also how Stefan Luitz sees it, next to the slightly damaged Alexander Schmid (patellar tendonitis) the most promising German starter at the weekend in Sölden.

After changing the ski brand, the giant slalom on Sunday is the first yardstick for the Allgäu, and it comes at just the right time for him so early this year.

It's about "skiing well with attack and self-confidence," says Luitz.

Ecological debate in alpine skiing

Maier believes that one should think less about Sölden than about the planned glacier descents from Zermatt, which are to take place in early November, and that “not only from an ecological point of view”. November is the most training-intensive time for downhill skiers, but it would have to be moved forward if the first fast races were to take place four weeks earlier than before. And that would require even more glacier training instead of preparing for Lake Louise like in Colorado.

The German Ski Association has been trying for a long time to reduce glacier training.

Especially with the junior squads “nobody has to go up the glaciers until the middle of September, you can do that differently,” says Maier - entirely in the spirit of Neureuther.

And environmental protection.

(Elisabeth Schlammerl)

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2021-10-22

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