Fis: There are too many competitions

It is neither a World Cup nor an Olympic Games this coming winter.

But that does not mean that the alpine skiing stars will calm down. Instead, six competitions have been added compared to last season, which means that a total of 44 world cup competitions will be run on the men's side, and 41 in the women's world cup.

The large number has been criticized by many riders and leaders.

Andreas Puelacher, coach of the Austrian gentlemen, is one of the critical ones.

- Fis hasn't listened to us. All coaches have appealed for a reduction in the number of races. It is dangerous as it is now, he says to the Austrian newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung, and takes for example the competitions around Christmas, when it is an evening competition in Alta Badia on December 23, and then new races in Bormio already on December 26:

- The evening competitions in Alta Badia drive it to the extreme. You will be at home on the evening of the 23rd or the 24th and will travel to Bormio on the 25th. It's irresponsible.

Now Gian Franco Kasper, the international skiing association's (Fis) chairman, is giving the critics the right.

- I know it's not easy for the athletes and some organizers. We are now at the border, there is no doubt about that. We have too many races. But Fis does not exist to prevent races, but to organize races, he says, according to the news agency AP.