Paris (AFP)

After rushing the end of the 2019/20 season to spring, the novel coronavirus pandemic is affecting the start of winter 2020/21 for downhill skiers who will not be traveling to North America this season.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced Thursday that the Canadian (Lake Louise) and American (Killington and Beaver Creek) stages traditionally scheduled for late November and early December would not take place this season and would be partly rescheduled in Europe. This is only the second time in its history after the 1973/74 season that the Alpine Skiing World Cup will not stop in the United States or Canada.

The United States is the country most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic in terms of both deaths and cases, with more than 173,000 deaths for 5,530,000 recorded cases, according to the Johns-Hopkins University count, and continue to apply drastic travel restrictions.

"The races at the start of the season present unique logistical problems with the restrictions linked to the travel of people and quarantine measures on the outward and return journeys, which led to this decision," the director explained in a statement. of the Men's World Cup Markus Waldner.

- Ten races concerned, four times -

Between the two Canadian stages of Lake Louise (speed women and speed men), the American stage of Killington (technique women) and the American stage of Beaver Creek (speed and technique men), there are ten races in total programmed of the 25 November to December 6 which are concerned.

The FIS has announced the rescheduling for the moment of four races before its Council definitively validates the calendar on October 3. The French resort of Val d'Isère would host a super-G and a men's downhill on December 12 and 13 in addition to its weekend of men's technical races advanced to December 5 and 6 and its women's speed weekend (December 19/20). , or three consecutive weekends of competitions. Courchevel would host a women's technical race in addition to its giant, and Saint-Moritz (Switzerland) would add a women's downhill to its program on the first weekend in December.

"The temporary modification of the World Cup calendars meets the FIS objective of protecting the health of the athletes above all, reducing journeys and offering athletes a detailed competition calendar (as quickly as possible)" , notes the FIS.

"Killington is my favorite race (...) it has been incredible to run there the last few years, a feeling shared by the whole of the Women's World Cup I think", said the three-time winner of the big American globe Mikaela Shiffrin on Twitter. "It's a shame, but it will be all the more extraordinary to go back there next year for a return to normalcy."

- The opening in camera -

Alpine skiing will have to deal with the health crisis for its coming season, while the start of the season has been brought forward by one week to October 17 and 18 with the traditional giants women and men on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden (Austria ), which must be held in camera.

A habit now, while the Covid-19 had already caused the cancellation of the last thirteen races of the 2020 season in the spring, including the finals in Italy, and precipitated the surprise coronations of the Italian Federica Brignone and the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde .

The FIS also published on Wednesday its Covid-19 test protocol for the coming season in all its disciplines (alpine skiing but also Nordic skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding etc.) making in particular a PCR test mandatory for athletes before each event to be renewed every three or four days.

While the cross-country skiing World Cup stage scheduled for January in Prémanon (France) has already been canceled, other competitions seem threatened. The freestyle ski and snowboard circuit will notably go to the United States in December and then to Canada in January.

© 2020 AFP