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The Tyrolean glacial town of Sölden has earned the nickname “Ballermann of the Alps” for the past three decades. In the legendary “beer paradise”, great ski heroes such as Bode Miller and Hermann Maier have always climbed very steep.
And the three strip bars usually dance particularly lewd during World Cup week, but this time, despite the upcoming World Cup start, it’s pretty dead. Last year, around 25,000 people went to Sölden for the first alpine races of the winter. This time, due to the corona pandemic, only 1,390 people can populate the Rettenbach glacier.
In Sölden, these people are divided into four of the so-called bubbles so that there is not a big mix. They all live in assigned hotels. The largest bubble, marked in red, is made up of racing drivers, coaches, service personnel and officials from the world association.
The Swedish coach tested positive
The “blue” bubble is made up of OK employees and suppliers, the yellow group “belongs” to the media. Without exception, people who had a negative Covid 19 test received accreditation. In front of the Gaislachkogel station there is a truck with a high-tech laboratory integrated by the state of Tirol, in which rapid tests can be carried out. Swedish men’s trainer Ola Masdal tested positive for Corona on this truck on Friday and is now quarantined at the scene without any major symptoms.
The exponents of the “green” bubble, the 190 so-called “special guests”, are not tested. These VIPs do not have to present a negative Covid 19 test because, unlike officials and journalists, they do not come into contact with athletes.
But even the media representatives rarely see the main actors these days. The Swiss women’s team held their only press conference before the race on Friday in a deep underground car park. In order to keep a safe distance from Lara, Wendy, Michelle, and company during interviews, most reporters have their recording devices connected to their cell phones.
Training on icy slopes
Our high hopes Marco Odermatt, Loïc Meillard and Gino Caviezel will only travel to Sölden from Diavolezza today, where they were able to perfectly simulate the glacier race on an especially icy slope in the last few days. Head coach Tom Stauffer gives his men the strict FIS Covid regulations: “In Sölden, we not only have to wear masks when we walk through the hotel, we also have to wear a mask for the athletes when we drive to the glacier” .
The award ceremony will also take place on Saturdays and Sundays in a very different way than usual: trophies will not be awarded to winners, grand prizes must be collected at a table.
Since Friday it has become clear that there will be no ski parties in Adelboden and Wengen this winter; As BLICK announced, Swiss Ski announced that all World Cup events in Switzerland will be held without an audience.
