It’s been eight months since the Olympic Games. And ski crosser Daniela Maier still doesn’t know if she can keep her bronze medal.
Ski crosser Daniela Maier still has the bronze medal from the Beijing Winter Olympics at home. “I like to watch them. That was the best ski cross I’ve ever shown that day“, remembered the 26-year-old when getting dressed for the German Ski Association (DSV) in Herzogenaurach. Eight months after the race in China, it is still unclear whether the freestyler will be able to keep the reward for the competition of her life forever.
Bickering over bronze
Because this Olympic ski cross race is one of Beijing’s stories that will be remembered. Maier crossed the finish line fourth in the Olympic victory of Swede Sandra Näslund behind Canadian Marielle Thompson and Fanny Smith from Switzerland. But after a few minutes of studying the video, the jury disqualified the third-placed Swiss – to Maier’s astonishment. “That was fine“, she said first to Smith and later, when the disqualification of the Swiss woman was official, also to the jury. And Smith also referred to the colleague before the arbitral tribunal and pleaded: “She says it was okay. Let the athletes decide.”
Maier fourth on the FIS side, third on the Olympic side
Smith and the Swiss Ski Association lodged an objection – the Appeal Committee of the World Association FIS decided to overturn the jury’s evaluation. Suddenly Smith cheered and the DSV filed an objection. Curious: On the FIS side, Maier is listed as fourth, on the Olympic side as third. The case is still with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Cas in Lausanne, Switzerland. “At the moment we are assuming that the medal will stay with Dani”said Heli Herdt (Sports Director Skicross).
Losing third place does not automatically mean losing the Olympic medal. A possible scenario would be that another bronze medal is awarded. “I wish there would be something official at some point“said Maier, who tried to finish the topic as best as possible in the summer. “I had to make this cut for myself in order to be able to start the new season stronger.” The ski crossers open their World Cup season in France at the beginning of December.