– I feared before the start that some of us would end up in the net while sitting. Unfortunately, it was me, writes para athlete Lars Andresen in an SMS to news. In the fall, he injured his shoulder, and lost the rest of the NM. Andresen has neither abdominal muscles nor back muscles that can help him slow down. Therefore, various descents cause problems for him. – The problem for us with poor balance is steep downhills with a turn at the bottom. Then things often go wrong, explains Andresen. Already in the prologue, Andresen noticed that the downhill was in the toughest part. The fact that he didn’t fall then, he calls only luck. – That’s why I was very defensive in the final. Those with full musculature in the lower body manage to keep their balance intact and manage the hill, but the slopes must also be safe for us without musculature in the lower body, he states. VETERAN: Lars Andresen has competed in para sports for several decades. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB “Nobody” noticed that Andresen fell, no technical delegates or members of the jury noticed. Because there were no guards or health personnel there. It was Harald Valen who helped Andresen up from the net. – I stood there because I had a bad feeling for that ground. I spoke to Lars after the prologue and he said he was scared, says Valen. He is the father of Isabell Valen, who also participates in the current class. She also got to experience how tough the ground was, and went into the net during the prologue. DIFFICULT TO BRAKE: Functional impairment and equipment make it difficult for seated para athletes to brake. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB – Isabell does have stomach and back muscles, but she was still unable to slow down. She is good downhill, but still ended up in the net, says Valen, and continues: – The safety of the athletes must be ensured. The track that was also there became only destructive and dangerous. Someone who is sitting should not think about plowing and braking. Viljar Aasan assists Team Aker Dæhlie, of which Lars Andresen is a part. He sat at home and watched the race on TV. – The fact that it is a steep hill is fine enough, because it is about strength and technique. The biggest challenge is going down, says Aasan. – In addition, the regulations state that a downhill must never end in a turn. It should preferably end in a cool or uphill to slow down. Within the regulations The adviser for para-country skiing at the Ski Association does not agree. She believes the track was well within the regulations of Fis. – The downhill is within the regulations, but it is in the upper tier of the permitted climb, and the descent is not one of the most difficult. There were some runners who did not think it was problematic. These also drove in the track right from the top, says Anne Ragnhild Kroken. ADVISOR: Anne Ragnhild Kroken. Photo: Thomas Brun / NTB Kroken states that she has not driven or approved the trail herself. She goes on to say that the slopes are tested by a technical delegate (TD) ahead of the runs. – I have been told that the organizer asked the athletes after the race and that they felt that the participants were satisfied. No one had expressed that they were afraid. When you do not get honest feedback that there are things that should be changed, it is difficult to do anything about it. FUN: Thomas Morud was happy with the sprint and says it was fun. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB There were a total of four runners who took part in the sitting class in the NM. Thomas Morud, was one of three in the men’s class. He tells news that he does not think there was anything very abnormal about the ground. – The hill was challenging, but I don’t think it was that bad. I wasn’t terribly surprised by it until I found out that others had problems with it, says Morud and elaborates: – I can understand that, but I think you can quickly meet a similar ground in other competitions. He is left with a positive experience of the arrangements for the para athletes in the NM. Changed the course before the next race Andresen tells news that he just wanted to get back to the hotel room as quickly as possible after the fall, and that he expected the jury and TDs to see what happened in the turn. But apparently no one did, until someone reported the incident. In the jury report after the race, there was nothing about Andresen’s fall. – It is the runners’ responsibility to report if they experience things as dangerous. There is a bit of responsibility there too. But it should be unnecessary when you know the trail is scary, I mean, says Aasan. Technical Delegate in the Skiing Association, Magnus Elmquist, tells news that the jury assessed the incident afterwards: – We assessed the incident and changed the route. – But there was nothing about the assessment in the jury report? – No, it didn’t. But we talked about it and evaluated it and changed it. Elmquist did not set the original course himself, but he led the jury which, after an overall assessment, skipped the downhill before Thursday’s 7.5 kilometres, where the athletes had had to run the downhill several times. – It wasn’t just the fall that made us change it, it was for other reasons as well. It was an overall assessment, so it should be good for everyone, he explains. – It was great that the trail was changed again, writes Andresen. Morud also agrees: – If we had had that descent 12 times, one should not ignore the fact that there would have been more falls, but we have come to terms with the possibility of falling. HAPPY: Lars Andresen is happy that the organizer changed the course after the sprint. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB Fears for recruitment Both Aasan and Valen are worried about the future of paragliding in Norway. They have both noticed that recruitment has stopped. – Such falls and descents as there were in the sprint are not just about injuries. It is also about recruitment, says Valen. He believes there should have been easier trails, so more people could participate. – Not many people can manage such slopes. Those who had the potential to join if it was an easier course, they will not come. Because they can’t handle such uphills and descents. Kroken says she does not disagree with Valen. – We have had athletes who thought this course was good, while others have been unlucky and fell. In this sense, we probably get different opinions, so I would like to emphasize again that it is important to have a constructive dialogue as early as possible, so that you have the opportunity to facilitate in the best possible way. Because we all want the best possible trails for our paragliders, says the advisor for paragliding.
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– The track was devastating and dangerous – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
