Crans-Montana, weekend gets off to a bad start

Between the controversy https://www.msn.com/it-it/notizie/mondo/accorato-appello-agli-sciatori-italiani-non-andate-a-crans-montana/ar-AA1UVtql the Women’s World Cup circuit makes a stop this week in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), the resort scarred by the terrible fire that broke out at La Constellation bar on New Year’s Eve and claimed the lives of forty people, mostly very young, including six Italians. Two races are on the schedule: a downhill on Friday and a super-G on Saturday.

The first downhill training could be held on Wednesday, on a shorter-than-expected course due to strong wind gusts, but the one scheduled for Thursday was first postponed to noon due to heavy snowfall, then canceled, to allow local organizers to clear the slope and prepare it as well as possible for the race that will start at 10 a.m.

Official training held on Wednesday will allow the race to run smoothly, but it will start from the reserve start, as the only test is taken from that point. For Italy, Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone, Laura Pirovano, Elena Curtoni, Nicol Delago, Nadia Delago, Asja Zenere, and Roberta Melesi are registered. On Saturday, January 31, a super-giant will be held instead at 11 a.m.

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The FISI, in tune with the government and CONI, emphasized that the Italian alpine ski team that will take part in the World Cup races at the weekend in Crans-Montana, paid tribute to the Italian boys and girls and other young victims who lost their lives in the tragedy that occurred a month ago in the Swiss resort, laying a bouquet of flowers in front of the disaster site and gathering in a minute’s silence. The Azzurri who will take part in the competitions will compete with mourning on their arms.

In the Helvetic resort, other initiatives are also planned in memory of the very young victims: local organizers and the International Federation have decided to celebrate a minute’s silence before the start of the competitions, to cancel all side events and not to place advertisements at the edge of the track, focusing the whole event only on the sports competitions. No activities are also planned in the fan zone, while daytime activities in the center of Crans-Montana and the city’s Curling Club will be canceled.