ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Olympic downhill workers reject skiers' complaints and say the piste at Sestriere is fine

Record ID: 331971

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Olympic downhill workers reject skiers' complaints and say the piste at Sestriere is fine
  • Date: 12th February 2006
  • Summary: SESTRIERE, ITALY (FEBRUARY 11, 2006) (REUTERS) DOWNHILL SLOPE AFTER MEN'S TRAINING ANOTHER ANGLE OF THE SLOPE FENCED OFF AND DEMARCATED BY BLUE NETTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN HOLBROOK OF THE USA, A 'SLIPPER', WHO MAINTAINS THE DOWNHILL SLOPE AND SKIS DOWN IT SIX TIMES A DAY, SAYING: "The course is a lot of terrain. Starting at the very top it comes off a big pitch on a very firm surface with a large jump right off the 3rd and 4th gate there and then it drops into a flat section. It's very fast with lots of rolls and turns with bank turns and straights, with rolls like this and then it comes in at the bottom again with three or four big bank turns and three or four big finish jumps. So, it's quite challenging, you have to be on it. You have to be a good skier and the good skiers will do good tomorrow" MORE OF THE DOWNHILL SKI RUN TREES BY THE SKI RUN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LLOYD PIERCY, U.S. SLIPPER ON THE DOWNHILL PISTE, SAYING: "I think the ice makes everyone happy because you know if you get an easy course to ski it's great for the first 20 and the rest of them have big holes in it and it's torn up and you know, it's not a fair race and the whole idea of an Olympiade is every racer has his day and if they're good on that day they can win and ice makes it that way" PEOPLE WALKING IN MAIN SQUARE PEOPLE AT STALLS U.S. FLAG IN WINDOW SKIERS WALKING IN TOWN TWO MEN DRINKIING HOT DRINK SMALL STALL WOMAN WITH CHILD WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) 'TULLIO', FROM TURIN, SAYING: "You can't criticise this piste in that way. I know a lot of professional skiers that ski on it. But then, on the other hand, we are now talking about skiers who are going for records and this is another story" WOMAN WITH SKIS WALKING PAST VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) TOURIST AND SKIER 'GIORGIO' SAYING: "If it had snowed, they would have complained that there was too much fresh snow. They will always find something to complain about" PEOPLE IN THE SQUARE
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8KSLO2QD0PNH5BMBDF1TXEIL
  • Story Text: The men's Olympic downhill piste at Sestriere, for all its shimmering white beauty, has an icy harshness that threatens to destroy dreams as much as make them in Sunday's (February 12) showcase race.
    Several Alpine skiers complained after Saturday's final training session that the 3.3 kilometre Kandahar Banchetta slope had taken a toll on their equipment.
    Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, winner of a super G in Lake Louise in Canada this year, said he had "burned out" his skis on the downhill slope on Friday. Steven Nyman of the USA said he had burned the bases of two sets already.
    But 'slipper' John Holbrook, who maintains the slope and skis it six times a day, said on Saturday that it is perfect.
    He goes down the slopes immediately after the competitors, ensuring the line is clean for the next racer. He also checks the line in a wedge or slip formation, depending on the damage inflicted by the last skiers and removes any loose snow.
    "The course is a lot of terrain. Starting at the very top it comes off a big pitch on a very firm surface with a large jump right off the 3rd and 4th gate there and then it drops into a flat section. It's very fast with lots of rolls and turns with bank turns and straights, with rolls like this and then it comes in at the bottom again with three or four big bank turns and three or four big finish jumps. So, it's quite challenging, you have to be on it. You have to be a good skier and the good skiers will do good tomorrow," said Holbrook.
    The slope, a gleaming white swathe plunging through the forest, mixes brief flat stretches with technical curves on the upper part, before heading into a steeper area before the finish.
    If a skier does well from the start, he can carry the speed through the smooth sections. But mess up the first few seconds and the battle is lost.
    Another slipper, Lloyd Piercy, said on Saturday that the conditions are perfect for skiers with greater technical skills, like Darren Rhalves ofthe USA.
    "I think the ice makes everyone happy because you know if you get an easy course to ski it's great for the first 20 and the rest of them have big holes in it and it's torn up and you know, it's not a fair race and the whole idea of an Olympiade is every racer has his day and if they're good on that day they can win and ice makes it that way," said Piercy.
    In Sestriere's central square, Italian spectators did not think that the competitors really had much to complain about.
    "You can't criticise this piste in that way. I know a lot of professional skiers that ski on it. But then on the other hand we are now talking about skiers who going for records and this is another story," said 'Tullio'.
    Another said some athletes complained too much
    "If it had snowed, they would have complained that there was too much fresh snow. They will always find something to complain about," said skier Giorgio said.
    Showing fresh interest in the Games, people finally populated the Alpine venues to see their favourite sports or simply learn about odd-sounding sports like short track.
    The start of competition may have been overshadowed by anti-U.S. protesters in Turin but most were oblivious in the sunny, but icy mountains.
    After the day's events, which saw a splendid start for German athletes who secured two gold medals, many spectators were glad to get back into the warmth after a day spent in temperatures which fell as low as minus six Celsius.
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