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The first part of the anniversary of the ski world cup in Semmering was driven by the wind. The women’s giant slalom had to be canceled on Monday during the Slovakian Petra Vlhova’s halftime advantage due to strong gusts of wind shortly before the start of the second round for safety reasons. The storm was so strong that even pieces of wood and iron flew through the air in the target area. The race can no longer be continued or added in Semmering.
Semmering is celebrating 25 years of the World Cup this year, but because of Corona, the event has to cope without an audience or a supporting program. The giant slalom started on Monday in tolerable weather conditions, the initially expected wind was within limits both in the very flat start section and in the finish zone. “Defending champion” Vlhova took a 0.22 second lead over Italy’s Marta Bassino. Third was Michelle Gisin from Switzerland, 0.35 seconds behind Vlhova.
On the other hand, the best Austrians were defeated. Katharina Liensberger was the best of the Austrian Ski Federation, 1.97 seconds behind, in 14th place. Katharina Truppe (2.20), Stephanie Brunner (2.24) and Franziska Gritsch (2.29) were in the positions 17 to 19, Ramona Siebenhofer (2.70) had 25. These five of the ten ÖSV women would have also participated in the decision and had the opportunity to improve there. After the recent uptrend at Courchevel, the first run on the sensitive Semmering slope was a more serious setback.
When the giant slalom women would get a chance to catch up with the race was initially unclear. In Semmering, it is not possible to continue on Tuesday morning or, for logistical and television reasons, a new event on Wednesday. On the one hand, the strong wind lasted until late Monday night and 4 to 6 inches of fresh snow was expected. This makes it impossible to work on the slopes at night and therefore also the eventual realization of the second RTL test on Tuesday morning before the slalom.
In Semmering, the focus was entirely on clean-up work to secure Tuesday’s night slalom. Round one starts at 3:15 pm “The wind was over 100 km / h today, but it’s weaker at night,” said FIS race director Peter Gerdol. “Tomorrow we will need all morning to rebuild the target area.” The giant slalom will be recovered later in the season.
The wind had increased more and more on the Monday after the first round, so the organizers initially decided to move the start downwards and thus significantly shorten the second race. In the end, the labor of love was in vain, because the storm became increasingly violent and gusty, so the gondola had to stop again and again.
On the runway, storm gusts not only bent the doors to the ground, but soon tore down advertising materials and the target’s banner in the finish area, and even iron structures fell and broke. Parts of the wood from a neighboring house were uprooted and thrown into the air. They reminded you of the chaotic scenes that had been seen at the Bad Kleinkirchheim races in 2012 and 2015.
This time, too, there is enough winter start in southern Austria. However, in Semmering, at the gates of Vienna, it was hoped that they would be saved. “Unfortunately a storm of this magnitude could not be fought, gusts of more than 110 km / h were measured on the mountain,” said OC chief Franz Steiner, who lamented: “After 25 years, this was the the first time a World Cup race in Semmering was canceled. “
In fact, the Semmering target area was devastated by the storm in a very short time and was therefore quickly evacuated by numerous members of the security personnel. “It’s more than understandable that it was canceled,” Gritsch said after she safely escaped. “It would have been hot for a second race. But if the doors are no longer straight, a fair race is not possible,” said the Tyrolean. “But today everyone’s safety comes first anyway, it’s part of the business.”
Former runner Alexandra Meissnitzer confessed: “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The ORF expert had walked the route with the camera shortly before the demolition. “The slope was great. But then it dismantled the entire finish area in a very short time. It would have been too dangerous,” said the Salzburg resident, recalling Bad Kleinkirchheim.
There was also no option for Atomic race director Christian Höflehner. “There was no other option. The pieces were flying out of control. We are no longer talking about a fair race.”
In the end, it was probably very lucky that there were no viewers in Semmering this time because of Corona. Cleaning up a target area full of 10,000 spectators would have been much more difficult, and most of all, much more tedious.
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