Mikaela Shiffrin is criticized. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / CHET STRANGE

Trouble about Shiffrin and Gut-Behrami: “Stop it”

Winter is still a bit away, but the first ski races of the season will take place on October 28th and 29th. This caused astonishment among some ski stars. Now comes the hard comeback.

18 October 2023

From: det

“Is now the time for ski racing? Probably not. To what extent should we adapt our environment to a schedule that we want? Or should we adapt our schedules to the environment?" said Mikaela Shiffrin a few days ago and attended the start of the World Cup in Sölden at the end of October Relation. Her colleague Lara Gut-Behrami agreed. “If the people in the finish area are walking around in T-shirts and those in front of the TV are wearing swimming trunks, that doesn't make sense. That doesn’t make them want to go skiing themselves.”

Not everyone liked the statements of the two superstars. And so Marc Girardelli, five-time overall World Cup winner, spoke up. In the View he reacts annoyed: “Idols like Shiffrin and Gut-Behrami should finally stop sawing on the branch on which they themselves are sitting!”

Girardelli continued: “I can assure Mikaela Shiffrin that snow is produced in Sölden using highly environmentally friendly technology. And Lara Gut should remember that the Australian Open tennis also attracts great interest in Europe, even though this tournament is held in our midwinter. “There is therefore no reason why TV viewers should not want to watch ski broadcasts when the temperatures are higher.”

Ski sales are boosted

A main reason for the early World Cup opening at the end of October: This is to boost sales of skis. “The early start of the World Cup in Sölden is extremely important for the winter sports industry!” explains the boss of the new World Cup downhill run on the Matterhorn, Franz Julen. He used to work in marketing himself. “Every year we have seen that sales of skis, ski suits and gloves only really picked up on the day after the Sölden race.”