As of: February 7, 2024, 12:12 p.m
By: Stefan Schmid
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Serious injuries are an occupational risk for alpine skiers.
But the risk would also be deliberately increased, says Maria Höfl-Riesch.
Munich - Wherever you look in professional sport, the limits of what is possible are being explored in the fight for attention, ratings and money, the spectacle and the speed are increased.
Of course, increased speed has also been achieved through technical progress, but the security aspect cannot always grow to the same extent.
The former German ski racer Maria Höfl-Riesch is now also denouncing part of this development.
At
Blickpunkt Sport,
she holds those responsible for the routes accountable for preventing serious falls.
Maria Höfl-Riesch deals against those responsible for the alpine ski routes.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Michael Kappeler
Höfl-Riesch accuses: Violent waves “for the spectacle”
In general, there has been an increase in serious injuries in the Alpine skiing circuit this winter, but things were particularly severe in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
There, the ski racers had to survive two downhill races and a Super-G run in the most adverse conditions - there is no other way to describe it.
On the first day, twelve athletes did not make it across the finish line, including the Swiss Corinne Suter, who tore her cruciate ligament.
Despite difficult weather conditions, Maria Höfl-Riesch also sees those responsible for the route as partly to blame.
“There are many reasons.
But especially in Cortina – I spoke to the women’s downhill coach – they made the waves sometimes heavier for the spectacle,” said Höfl-Riesch in
BR
.
Höfl-Riesch: Route design is to blame for cruciate ligament tears
One day after Suter's momentous fall, her teammate Joana Hählen suffered the same fate, ending the season due to a torn cruciate ligament.
Höfl-Riesch explains this by the special nature of the waves integrated into the descent: “A jump that ends somewhere steep, where the forces then go downwards, is not the problem, even if it goes far.
But then they are quite splashed on the flat and then all the force hits the knees.
And some cruciate ligaments can’t stand that.”
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Höfl-Riesch had to experience what it was like to tear his cruciate ligament during a race.
This also happened once in Cortina, in 2005 when the track conditions were less severe.
This shows how much more dangerous the descent now is for racers, with routes hyped up for the spectacle.
The orgy of falls in Cortina didn't just have direct consequences for the injured athletes.
Seeing their teammates and rivals fall in droves also had an impact on the psyche of those who escaped more lightly.
(sh)