Alpine ski team hit by scandal
After their worst World Cup result in almost 40 years, the Swiss alpine ski team have suffered another blow with revelations that they rigged results in two races.
The scandal coincided with the appointment of Osi Inglin as the new head of the women’s team on Tuesday.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has confirmed that the results of the women’s downhill races in the Swiss resort of Davos on December 8 and 9 were manipulated, breaching all the rules of fair play.
Director Sarah Lewis said that although the deception was not on the same scale as the match-rigging scandal in German football, it was nevertheless “an ugly occurrence”.
Swiss ski stars Marlies Oester and Corina Grünenfelder were both listed as competing in the events and figured in the official results as having been eliminated. In fact, neither skier was in Davos for the races.
The inclusion of the two women skiers was a manoeuvre aimed at raising the status of the race so that the results would carry more weight, enabling the skiers who did compete to receive better starting numbers in World Cup events.
The former head of the junior team, Lars Erik Gulaker, has been suspended as a result. Gulaker, a Norwegian who has worked in Switzerland for over ten years, said he accepted the blame for the rigging.
“I am responsible. I was not the only one involved, but I accept the blame,” Gulaker said.
Anonymous tip-off
The deception came to light after the FIS was tipped off in an anonymous letter.
Didier Bonvin, who heads the junior team, has been charged with carrying out an investigation into the matter.
“Never before in my career have I heard of anything like this,” said Bonvin.
The revelations come at the end of a miserable World Cup ski season for the Swiss. The alpine ski team recorded their worst result since 1966, failing to register a single victory.
The disastrous result led the Swiss Ski Federation to dismiss the head of the women’s team, Marie-Theres Nadig, last month.
Osi Inglin, who is replacing her, previously worked for the Ski Federation from 1993 to 2002.
swissinfo with agencies
The Swiss ski team came away empty-handed from the Alpine World Ski Championships in Bormio, Italy.
It was the worst World Cup result since 1966.
The disastrous showing resulted in the dismissal of the head of the women’s team, Marie-Theres Nadig.
She has now been replaced by Osi Inglin.
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