Officially canceled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus, the Chinese Yanqing races have found a buyer. This is the Saalbach-Hinterglemm station, which will therefore host a descent on Thursday 13 January and a super-G the next day. “It was impossible to find a niche to compete in these races at the weekend, it was too busy,” said Markus Waldner, director of men’s races at the microphone for SRF. So we had to choose another solution. ”
This solution was to advance the tests to the weekend. We also had to find accommodation to house the Cirque Blanc caravan, and the whole region had to mobilize in an already very busy period. The organization of these races, which will undoubtedly be at a loss, was probably possible with a view to scoring points in the race for the 2025 World Championships. Favorite, Saalbach-Hinterglemm’s candidacy holds the rope .
Crans-Montana focuses on the ladies
Main competitor at the Austrian resort, Crans-Montana was also approached by Swiss Ski to resume the Chinese events, as confirmed by Markus Waldner. But the Haut-Plateau station declined the offer. “We did not want to do things in a hurry, it is not our way of operating”, explains Marius Robyr, president of the organizing committee, recalling all the logistics behind the organization of such competitions,
The soldiers are mobilized for the preparation of the track only from February 12, however that day of the trainings must be able to be disputed on a track already prepared for the standards of the World Cup. In addition, it is necessary to be able to accommodate hundreds of people in a period of, without counting school break extremely attended. “We want to give priority to organizing high-quality events for the Women’s World Cup,” said one in Valais. A descent and a combined are on the program on the Mont-Lachaux track on February 22 and 23.
Pre-Olympic games outside the World Cup?
As for the organization of the men’s pre-Olympic events, the problem remains unresolved. “The schedule is extremely busy,” said Markus Waldner on German television. These races should eventually be placed after the Cortina d’Ampezzo Worlds, next February, unless we organize only the women’s events, scheduled for March 2021, and a continental race, of the Far-East Cup (editor’s note: equivalent to the European Cup. ”This had been the case before the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, when the pre-Olympic events were canceled due to heavy snowfall.
LMO / JT
–
