Legend warns against women's ski flying in an open letter

In the spring, the FIS spoke out in favor of allowing women to start from the big Bakken in Vikersund (Norway) in March. For Innauer, this is not a fully developed idea. He sees “important biomechanical, medical and ethical arguments” in the letter published in domestic media that oppose such a decision. “The relevant difference to their male sports colleagues lies not so much in their athletic performance, but in the problems to be expected in the event of a typical ski fall, such as Daniel Andre Tande or Thomas Morgenstern had recently experienced,” wrote Innauer.

“The body of a woman who is designed to be lightweight in our sport is less resilient than that of a man due to the gender-specific lower proportion of muscle in the total body weight,” explained the 64-year-old. The combination of the increased starting speed compared to the men and the resulting increased impact force for Innauer could have fatal consequences. This “greater risk for women must be recognized and evaluated,” demanded Innauer. Many critical points “It misses the point of a balanced and responsible assessment if physical-biomechanical connections and differences and the resulting danger are negligently negated and the focus is turned into an equality debate,” emphasized Innauer. “The present matter is delicate in several dimensions, but all the more it requires a calm and expert assessment, especially from the highest level.”

Will Sara Marita Kramer & Co. jump at a ski flying opportunity next season? © APA / EXPA/JFK

Last but not least, Innauer also complained about the alleged giving in to pressure from, among others, the Norwegian Athletes' Association NISO, which supported its concerns "with reference to EU law, equality between women and men in terms of employment and employment, the Bosman ruling, the 'Gender Equality Act' “, justified and called for an end to the discrimination against female ski jumpers.

A specially appointed FIS subcommittee unanimously decided in April that the premiere of women's ski flying at the Raw Air series in Norway would take place in spring 2023. Accordingly, the 15 best athletes in the ranking should fly from the world record Bakken in Vikersund at the end.

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Legend warns against women's ski flying in an open letter

In an open letter to the International Ski Federation FIS, ski jumping legend Anton Innauer raised concerns about the “major risks” associated with women’s ski flying.

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