This will be expensive! ÖSV calls downhillers back to South America

Snow training in South America will be more expensive than planned for the ÖSV and equipment suppliers.

From mid-August until about a week and a half ago, the ÖSV downhillers completed their preparations for the upcoming World Cup season in Portillo, Chile.

In October, training was supposed to continue on the Swiss glacier in Saas-Fee. Consequently, the equipment was also shipped back to Europe.

ÖSV Flees Back to South America

However, the high temperatures in summer and autumn have affected the glacier in Switzerland so severely that there is no chance of training there. Therefore, it was decided at short notice that the ÖSV downhillers would travel back to South America for further training. This was reported by "Blick".

This means all the material now has to be shipped back again.

Equipment suppliers are not pleased with this at all. Normally, they cover the delivery costs. Head Race Director Rainer Salzgeber explained to "Blick" how expensive this will be: "Currently, we pay over 15 Euros per kilo for overseas flights. And each downhiller needs about 250 kilos of material for a training camp." This amounts to 3,750 Euros for one athlete's equipment alone.

Swiss Team with a Different Strategy

The ÖSV, however, has indicated that it will contribute to the incurred costs due to this suboptimal planning.

In contrast, the Swiss ski team deliberately left their equipment in South America and stored it in a cargo hall in Chile.

Unlike the ÖSV team, the Swiss – despite deliberations – decided against returning to South America for further training.