Run changed

Excitement in the final! Shiffrin triggers fairness debate

Mikaela Shiffrin(Bild: GEPA)

Before the decisive second slalom run at Semmering, Mikaela Shiffrin caused quite a stir when she had a passage changed at short notice after intervening with the course setter. After the race, the US American responded: "It wasn't safe!"

What had happened? Shiffrin, who was in fourth place after the first run (+0.54 seconds), is said to have complained massively about a passage on the Magic Mountain. As a result, French course setter Vincent Blum made changes to the course and defused the section in question - an entry into a hairpin. However, this had an explosive aftertaste. Shiffrin was the only athlete who was able to inspect the new line before the second run. All the other skiers started without this opportunity. A constellation that caused a lot of displeasure and discussion in the finish area. Fairness? Opinions are divided on this.

Video sent to the federations
Nevertheless, as ORF commentator Ernst Hausleitner reported, all the federations were sent a video of the spot in question so that the runners knew about it and could prepare themselves. "A gate was set to the outside, then it became a long turn," said co-commentator Marlies Raich.

Natalie Falch said in the finish area when asked about it on ORF: "I got the video in time. It was all fair. I saw everything and we discussed everything in detail with the coaches. That was okay, and to be honest, it was better for me anyway. I'm super happy that I made it to the finish without any mistakes," said the Tyrolean after her strong performance at her home World Cup.

 

"Not safe!"
After the end of the race, with Shiffrin as the winner, the US-American reacted to the commotion and said about the slope conditions: "It wasn't safe to ski here. It wasn't a problem for me, but it wasn't good for the racers further back. There were no serious injuries, but the slope was broken. That's better. It should be a good show. But the skiers shouldn't be afraid to ski down here. I'm frustrated about that."

Extremely high failure rate
The first run saw an unusually high number of retirements: almost every second skier dropped out. A retirement rate of 49%, which had not been seen for 25 years - since the 1999/00 season. The time gaps were also astonishing: there were 5.94 seconds between first and 30th place, which is also a negative record.