Swiss cream Brits in parliamentarian ski race

Averaging 55km per hour, Metzler left most of the men well behind Keystone

The Swiss Justice Minister showed her colours in Davos on Monday, in the annual British versus Swiss parliamentary ski race.

The youngest Swiss minister, Ruth Metzler, creamed the opposition in the Woman’s 800-meter slalom. Christian Democrat Metzler crossed the line nearly four seconds ahead of her nearest competitor and 5 seconds ahead of third place with a runtime of 51.55 seconds, according to organizers.

The limber 37 year-old Metzler was also the youngest competitor in the race and has a half-century lag on the oldest contender to finish course this year, the 88-year-old Otto Nauer. Averaging 55km per hour, Metzler left most of the men well behind and took fifth place in the overall rankings.

A new record

The Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian This Jenny, who clocked 44.84 seconds, broke a Swiss parliamentary record in the men’s slalom. Radical Durri Bezzola pulled off second place. The British parliamentarians did not rank in Monday’s traditional Davos run-offs.

The race originates from the mid-fifties, when several British and Swiss parliamentary guests lodging in the same Fluela hotel challenged each other to a run off on the slopes. Event organiser and owner of the Fluela Hotel in Davos Andreas Grädig, told swissinfo that in the early days it was a small and fairly laid-back affair.

“In the beginning there were only five to ten parliamentarians from each country, it gradually grew to peak last year with 80 parliamentarians participating from both countries. This year there are less participants due to political agendas however some of those racing have been doing so since the seventies” Grädig said.

A large proportion of the parliamentarians still kip down in the same hotel, according to Grädig, thus enhancing inter cabinet-minister and inter-country relations.

swissinfo with agencies