The descent from Crans-Montana was canceled after only six runners after serious falls. Lindsey Vonn was among the riders who didn’t make it to the finish.
Vonn fell on the downhill in Crans-Montana at the last World Cup before the Olympic Games. The American fell after a long jump at the foxhole and remained lying in the safety nets. She was able to drive to the finish line on her own, but kept grabbing her left knee – her partial prosthesis is in her right knee. The top favorite for gold was greeted with much applause by the audience.
Vonn’s coach remains positive
“We’re not entirely sure, she’s being examined now,” said Vonn’s coach, the former world-class downhill skier Aksel Lund Svindal, about the 41-year-old on ORF. you have Had “a bit of pain in my left foot and left knee.”“but I stay positive“, added the Norwegian.
After Vonn, who started sixth, the race was canceled due to increasing snowfall. The Austrian Nina Ortlieb and the Norwegian Marte Monsen had previously fallen in poor visibility.
DSV Alpine Director Maier: “Individual skiing mistakes”
DSV Alpine director Wolfgang Maier did not blame the organizers. “Crans-Montana has always been a difficult descent and demands a certain limit. Everyone tries to be better in the race under extreme conditions than in training“said Maier on the ZDF microphone.”The preparation is not bad, but not completely uniform, which is an extreme challenge.” He attributed the falls to “individual skiing errorsr” back.
The German starters Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher were no longer able to intervene in the race after the cancellation. After the cancellation after only six starters, the race will not be included in the World Cup standings.
Controversial race cancellation – Weidle-Winkelmann: “Ridiculous”
Drivers who were still at the start reacted to the cancellation with incomprehension. “That’s ridiculous“, said Weidle-Winkelmann. Vonn’s teammate and world champion Breezy Johnson recalled that they had already raced in poor visibility this winter.
“Everyone said: We don’t understand the cancellation 100 percent“said athlete spokeswoman Cornelia Hütter from Austria. Race director Peter Gerdol countered this: “We don’t want any injuries.”
Crans-Montana remembers fire victims
The World Cup was dedicated to the victims of the New Year’s Eve fire disaster, in which 40 people died. The target sheet was colored black. There was a minute’s silence before the race. “It’s good that we can drive the race – on a reduced scale, without big celebrations. That’s the least you can don,” said Weidle-Winkelmann before the race.
