South Tyrol's ski ladies in crisis: these are the causes

At almost 25 years old, Nicol Delago has been world class for several years, and her sister Nadia, who is almost two years younger, is also said to have great potential. And Verena Gasslitter, who was ranked highest as an up-and-coming talent, sees light at the end of the tunnel after her incredible injury woes. They have what it takes to bring South Tyrol great joy in the coming years, but they don't hide what is obvious: There are problems, especially in the technical disciplines - and not just since this season. A shattered dream Someone who could have made it into the premier class of skiing is Miriam Gabloner. The 24-year-old from Castelrotto attended the sports high school in Ortisei and says: “Becoming a professional skier – that was my dream.” Her story as to why she was unable to achieve it is similar to that of many athletes. She had to have knee surgery three times, after which, Gabloner explains, she simply couldn't push herself to the limit anymore. In March 2019, after a 13th place at the Italian Slalom Championships, she drew a line and ended her career.

Miriam Gabloner was considered a promising talent. © Miriam Gabloner

Making the decision to try again or to put your skis away is not easy for anyone. Especially since it often goes hand in hand with the end of the childhood dream. In Italy, there is a high risk, especially for girls, that the decision will be to the detriment of the sport, says Gabloner. “In contrast to the boys, there are only two youth categories for the girls, i.e. the U18 (“Aspiranti”) and the U21 (“Giovani”). The best in these “Grand Prix ratings” advance to the national team. Anyone who is older has to draw attention to themselves through extraordinary achievements in order to make it into the team. Like Vera Tschurtschenthaler when she won her Italian championship title in exactly the same race where Gabloner was at the start for the last time. This fact is one reason why many talented girls fall through the cracks. In contrast, the boys also compete for coveted places in the general class (“senior”) category. “I honestly don’t know why that is,” Gabloner admits. The state squad needed to catch up However, this is a national problem and not a South Tyrol-specific problem that needs to be solved. So what are the reasons for the South Tyrolean ski crisis? Gabloner does not accept that the athletes in the rest of Italy are simply better. “When I was still driving, I have to be honest, we were at least on equal terms.” Rather than the quality of each individual, she has the impression that the work in the state squad is no longer as good as it was a few years ago. “A place in the state squad used to be something big, but today some people even avoid it.” There is a risk that an athlete will work with too many coaches at the same time and not follow a clear line. True to the motto: Too many cooks spoil the broth. “The regional association doesn’t do enough.” Miriam Gabloner The most famous example of this is Alex Vinatzer, who never wanted to be on the national team and is now one of the best slalom skiers in the world. In addition to the actual training, Gabloner also accuses those responsible for a lack of commitment to the inclusion of South Tyroleans in the national team. “The regional association doesn’t do enough, there’s not enough pressure.” This means that athletes have to give up their place for others who may have less talent but better connections. However, according to Gabloner, this is only a small piece of the puzzle. She attributes most of it to working with the athletes.

Was never in the national squad – and still made it to the World Cup: Alex Vinatzer © Pentaphoto

The regional association admits failures in recent years - and reacted accordingly in the summer under the leadership of the newly elected regional president Markus Ortler, who was elected last year, in order to counteract the major problems and make South Tyrol once again Italy's pioneer in skiing. No stone was left unturned. This means more athletes, more training groups, more trainers and, last but not least, more professional work. With Thomas Valentini as racing director and Reinhard Leiter as coordinator, two experts were also installed to ensure that the trainers can concentrate explicitly on working with the athletes.

Speaking of coaches: the experienced Florian Runggaldier is in charge of the women's competition, where he mainly looks after the elite group consisting of four athletes. The man from Val Gardena has a clear opinion on the current lull. “I don’t think the current situation is a cycle. In my opinion there is a lack from the ski clubs upwards. We are trying our best, but we have to admit that other nations are ahead of us,” emphasizes Runggaldier. No quick improvement in sight The founding of the new elite group was an important step in the right direction, explains the man from Wolkenstein: “We are trying to put a little pressure on the athletes to get the last few percent out of them.” Especially because of the current situation A lot is expected from the athletes around Elisa Schranzhofer (she has already finished in the points several times in the European Cup). Do any of them have the potential to play in the concert of the greats in a few years? “It’s very difficult to say,” replies the 54-year-old.

As every year, the aim of the regional association is to help as many athletes as possible get into the national team. However, this is only an intermediate step. The one in the World Cup is a completely different story. However, Runggaldier believes “his” girls can do this, although it is too early to make a judgement. What is also certain, however, is that the difficulties are not solely due to the outdated structures in the state squad. In the second part of the search for clues, s+ asked experts who clearly addressed the problems but painted a better future for South Tyrol's women.

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South Tyrol's ski ladies in crisis: these are the causes

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