The tragic death of 20-year-old Annefleur Kalvenhaar at the World Cup final in Méribel (FRA) just over a week ago has shaken the world of cross-country skiing to its very foundations. The Dutchwoman fell so heavily on her head during training after a failed landing that the doctors were unable to help her - despite the helmet she was wearing. She succumbed to her injuries the following day in Grenoble in the presence of her parents. It is the first death in the history of the Cross-Country World Cup. Our deepest sympathies now go first and foremost to her grieving family and friends.
There has been a steady trend in cross-country sport over the last few years. The courses have become increasingly difficult and, of course, the speeds have also increased. Especially in the downhill sections, the organisers of the races outdid themselves with technical demands. The descents became ever steeper, the jumps ever more numerous and higher, the rocks in the Rock Gardens ever bigger. Of course, this is spectacular to watch. But nobody really wanted to admit that this also significantly increased the risk of injury.
The athletes themselves have probably been criticising this trend for some time. Top Norwegian athlete Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå had already criticised the current course layout last year. Wolfram Kurschat puts it in a nutshell: "The BMXers, fourcrossers and downhillers all have to wear full-face helmets, neck protection and protectors, but in XCO and XCE you have to ride similar sections with a racing suit and 200-gram helmet."
Many top athletes now doubt that there is the right balance between material and route. Conversely, of course, this also means that sometimes it is no longer riding technique, but merely the rider's luck that decides between a crash and success. However, these concerns have not really been publicised yet. Not because their doubts are unfounded, but because so far many top athletes have feared losing face if they were to voice their concerns publicly.
It remains to be seen how the UCI will react. However, it should be clear that it cannot be in the spirit of sport for riders to hold back their concerns about the track out of fear.
Your opinion is in demand: Have today's Olympic cross-country race courses with their artificial obstacles simply become too dangerous, given the riders' meagre protective equipment? Tell us in the current BIKE survey:
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Adrian Kaether
Editor
