Stadlober: “This is a tragedy for sport”

Finally, the athletes’ clothing by the Innviertel supplier Löffler for the warm season, then the well-attended Ski Austria Symposium, where ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick also chatted on the subject of “communication and leadership”. For Austria’s ski association president Roswitha Stadlober, there is no summer break these days and weeks. The Salzburg native in conversation with the OÖN and the Tyrolean daily newspaper about budget cuts, the missed World Cup chance 2031 and the savings of Fischer in the alpine racing area.

OÖN: The Ski World Association FIS reacted after the many difficult falls and announced measures with the alpine: ban on the carbon rails, obligation to carry airbags and cut-resistant underwear. How satisfied are you with the changes?

Roswitha Stadlober: The FIS was required to tighten the measures. This has now happened with these three steps. That will change something. In the past, however, there have been many exemptions for athletes in the past.

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There were many critical voices, on the other hand, more measures were required in the area of ​​slopes, suits or skiing. Is it impossible to change all of this?

Nothing is impossible, you just have to confess. It’s about the security of the athletes. Skiing is a risky sport, we all know that. Because of the material development, you can no longer compare sport with earlier times. Now there is so much technical development in the material, that makes it so dangerous. You have to regulate that. Ski sports are not allowed to endanger human life.

This was due to the Nordic World Cup application of Ramsau 2031 due to financial difficulties. Understandable?

That was the worst possible time, everything took a long time because first in the federal government, then also at the state level, elections took place and accordingly everything was delayed. Then of course there were also budget cuts. It is a shame that all of that would have been investments in the economy, that would have boosted a lot in the region. It is painful that the application does not come about.

The new government, however, announced a ten percent reduction in sports funding. How much does this affect sport?

That is fatal. Most are shortened in the sports department. It is not recognized what sport contributes to health and society. That is still not understood, for sport it is a tragedy.

So does sport have too little importance?

Yes. I don’t know if you don’t see what that means. It is much more about the health issue, not just about competitive sports, it is about movement in general. It goes down to all and also meets the clubs. The umbrella organizations have less money, then clubs dissolve, which in the end is amazing for the entire domestic sport. If we want services, then we have to stand by it. If we want to medals, we have to be clearly committed to it.

With Fischer, a ski company with great tradition recently lost some well -known athletes such as world champion Raphael Haaser. How is it disappointing?

It is always a shame because it is a traditional Austrian company. The cake becomes smaller, whoever has to do that. These are costs that also affect us. Fischer had good success this year, Raphael Haaser presented a world champion. We invest a lot there, but it all hits us. Unfortunately, the lower ski leagues also feel that.

After the season, the discussion about head coach Roland Assinger was high in the ski team. How did you see that?

We had a clear strategy here from the start. We have to talk to each other in this cause and not on top of each other. There were many conversations, and then at a meeting together clearly emerged that the women want to continue with Assinger. Now you have to see how you come together. I am in good spirits that this works because the majority really spoke out for Roland Assinger.

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