Ski World Cup in Saalbach: Parallel competition, The stepchild of skiing

Sunlight over Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the audience could hardly have hit it better on the first day of the Ski World Cup. And the wild alpine circus itself takes care of the storm clouds. This time the former German ski racer Felix Neureuther, who spoke about its mode before the start of the first World Cup race. And little or no cheerful.

“The parallel competition has nothing to do with skiing for me,” said the 40-year-old in the Podcast “Après-Ski” of the Swiss newspaper Blick. Felix Neureuther, who himself became world champion in 2005, explained that disciplines departure, Super-G, giant slalom and slalom were the “basic disciplines of skiing”. “But they have absolutely nothing to do with parallel driving.”

This thesis of the former slalom specialist was as steeply as the Zwölferkogel in the Hinterglemm district, where the first World Cup medals were extended on Tuesday. In the so-called team parallel competition, the favored Swiss switched off the German team, which was weakened by the failure of parallel world champion Alexander Schmid, but surprisingly strong German team with Lena Dürr, Fabiana Dorigo, Fabian Gratz and Linus Straßer, before they were surprisingly finished later in the new World champion Italy lost. Bronze went to the quartet from Sweden. The four German races in the quarter-finals against Switzerland ended 2-2, only the better overall time spoke against the DSV team, which ended fifth-ahead of the host Austria. “If we compare our times with the others, it was extremely good,” said Straßer after the race. It finds parallel mode as “wonderful” and suitable as a prelude “that the athletes and the whole audience get warm”.

In fact, the Ski World Association FIS had actually deleted the team competition after the 2023 World Cup from the World Cup program of all women and men’s races. Combination competitions last took place in Beijing at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Probably also because the call of imperfections curve in the combination and parallel races. Neither fish nor meat, the meat, the big stories were created on historical slopes, which myths are attached, for example on the Kitzbüheler Hahnenkamm or below Wengen’s Lauberhorn. Spectacular falls like that of Hermann Maier in Nagano in 1998 mostly occurred in departure races, rod dramas like Linus Straßer’s thread at Tor two in Schladming 2023 mostly played in slalom.

Only: What would be if two slaloms were simply stuck in the floodlight of Schladming?

In any case, the night lighting of the Zwölferkogel started in Saalbach on the early Tuesday evening. And down in the stadium, the drivers were welcomed in the giant slalom duel man against men and women against Mrs. of almost 15,000 celebrating guests. They got to see a competition in which the best 14 countries in the World Cup nation ranking with four athletes each started in excretion rounds, starting with the round of 16.

Such a parallel race could also be aligned at the Munich Olympiaberg-as already happened in 2011

Critics of this format could be countered that a parallel competition like the organizers in Saalbach offers significantly more security than any other alpine format. Instead of a four -kilometer racing slope like in downhill races, a short slope is sufficient in Saalbach: 105 very steep vertical meters and only 19 tor sticks had to be mastered there on Tuesday per run and athlete. Such a race could also be carried out at the Munich Olympiaberg, which was successfully done in 2011 as part of the Ski World Cup-from Fuzicht that was gigantic. At the time, the FIS was able to inspire so-called city events, but after the last of its Art 2019 in Stockholm was over.

Why have these short parallel events at FIS have been like a kind of unloved stepchild? And no longer part of the World Ski Cup?

This question was clearly heard at least in the ranks of the World Cup stadium in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. And from the viewer’s point of view, it is understandable: in the Super-G and in the departure there may sometimes be spectacular scenes-mostly falls or collapsed-a lesson in dramaturgy have never been to these high-speed races of the alpinists. The best start right from the start, often the race is decided after ten to 15 drivers, after a good half hour, mostly not much happens, which is also part of the truth.

In the team parallel competition, however, the fourth and final round between the two fastest nations decides on victory after almost three hours. A plus for less expert spectators: When two drivers start in parallel, you sometimes not only recognize who is the faster – but also why.

In October, the responsible World Association of IBU will start the season for the first time in the biathlon in October, such as Weiland the City events of the alpine. In order to make it easier for the audience to access to the sport, according to the IBU, it goes to Munich. It was run and shot at the foot of the Olympic mountain, where the ski racers were last spotted in 2011.