Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) (AFP)
France has decided not to participate in the parallel mixed team event scheduled for Wednesday at the Alpine Skiing Worlds in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy), National Technical Director (DTN) Fabien Saguez announced on Monday.
"It is heartbreaking for me to announce that we will not be doing the team event. There are several reasons. It is not an easy decision, especially since we have already won the title. We are sorry for the supporters. But there is a problem with the programming of these Worlds, "said Fabien Saguez in the mixed zone.
"With the postponements of the first days, we end up with a test every day. The athletes must do a parallel event (the individual Tuesday), team event (Wednesday), giant and possibly slalom. This is not possible, at least for a team like ours which does not have the density of other nations. It is a criticism that can be made. We have decided to give priority to individual events, where we will play our luck to the full. ", he added.
The "Team event", a series of parallel races, is played with a mixed team of two men and two women.
It is scheduled for Wednesday after the combined men and women (Monday), the individual parallel events (Tuesday), and before the giants (women Thursday, men Friday).
Several of the best skiers in the world have already announced that they will not participate in the parallel, individual or team events, a format regularly criticized, including the French Alexis Pinturault, the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen and the American Mikaela Shiffrin.
The French team won the team event in 2011 and 2017. Switzerland is the title holder.
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