FIS race director Chika Yoshida and sports director Ståle Villumstad are waiting for the go-ahead. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB
The seas
Lock
13. mars 2023 16:50 – Updated March 13, 2023 5:08 p.m
The Raw Air showjumping for women at Lillehammer on Monday has been postponed due to snowy weather. Showjumping manager Clas Brede Bråthen directs fierce criticism at the organiser.
The race was scheduled to have started at 4:30 p.m. It turned out to be completely impossible. The snow fell over the Lysgårdsbakkene and caused trouble for the organisers.
A new start was then set for 5 p.m., but it took even longer before getting started.
– Unfortunately, the ground is not as standard as it should be when a World Cup race is to be jumped. It’s very sad when we actually have perfect relationships. We have most everything in place, just not a clear ski jump, said Clas Brede Bråthen to TV 2.
Tired
He believes the snowy weather could not come as a surprise.
– At least I saw in the weather forecast that there was going to be snow. We should have been prepared for this. It has happened before, said Bråthen – and added:
– It’s a shame when the learning curve is so flat.
The jump manager described the snow as light. He believes the organizer should have had more crews available.
– About 15 people with skis who can tread the ground are missing. You can lend me some skis and I can pedal. We cannot have it so that we have to save the organizer in this way, said the sports manager, clearly annoyed.
Admitted failure
Per Olav Andersen, head of the organizing committee, admits to TV 2 that things should have been done differently.
– We have probably underestimated the need for pedalers today. We have been too lazy to get enough pedalers out now, he told TV 2.
– We have to take note that we should be prepared for snowy weather in Norway. I would have liked to have been this one besides, Andersen added.
It is not known whether the postponement causes problems for the running of the men’s race later on Monday.
