– I didn’t know until now that there was blood in the snow. This is what Lars Kristoffersen, father and team leader of Henrik Kristoffersen, told news after the race. FATHER AND TEAM LEADER: Lars Kristoffersen: Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB His son was standing at the top when French Victor Muffat-Jeandet fell in the first part of the 2nd round in Adelboden. There were then six alpinists left, but it would take time before they could set off. The producers quickly found other images to show the TV viewers. Medical personnel rushed to assist the Frenchman, who was looked after for just a quarter of an hour before being taken away on a stretcher. Along the way, we got pictures of him at least sitting upright. – Must protect himself – How is it for Henrik to stand on the top while the run is interrupted, he is lying bleeding in the snow, and health personnel rush into the route with a stretcher? – I think he walks away when he sees that things are going wrong. The athletes at the top must protect themselves, says father Kristoffersen. – And then it is our task to tell that it takes time to set up the network again and such, so that he is as much as possible in his own bubble, he continues. When the Frenchman was finally taken away on a stretcher, you could see from the TV images that he was bruised on the face, and there was blood in the snow in the area where he fell. The sound of a helicopter was heard circling over the area where Muffat-Jeandet was located, but fortunately it was not necessary to take him away with it. FELL HARD: French Victor Muffat-Jeandet. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP According to the major French newspaper L’Équipe, Muffat-Jeandet is said to have received several cuts on his hand and bruised face. There have so far been no updates on Muffat-Jeandet’s condition or extent of damage. One year ago, on January 6, 2022, Muffat-Jeanet had a bad fall during a slalom race in Zagreb, Croatia. Then he broke his ankle and lost the Olympics in Beijing as a result. Kristoffersen paid tribute to the winner The race eventually got going again and there were cheers at home for Marco Odermatt who drove a fantastic 2nd half. – It is the wildest round of giant slalom I have seen, exclaimed commentator Andreas Toft. Henrik Kristoffersen did two good laps himself, and finished in second place. – Is it the switch to a new ski brand that has given him this enormous stability? – That’s probably part of it, but he hasn’t skied badly before either, father Kristoffersen points out. – The problem last year was that he was searching all the time, and then he made many adjustments. Some of the tweaks might have even made things worse, but that was only because we were always trying to change things. It stabilized towards the end of last year’s season, and the change of supplier itself may have given an extra boost, he explains to news. But even though Kristoffersen was rock solid, he couldn’t keep up with the superb Odermatt. The Norwegian was beaten by 73 hundredths, and when Odermatt arrived in the goal area, Kristoffersen was waiting for him. He literally took off his hat (helmet) to the victor and bowed as he congratulated him on his victory. TOP TRIO: Henrik Kristoffersen came second, while Marco Odermatt won superbly. His compatriot, Loïc Meillard (th), was third. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP 20 men raced out It was a partially chaotic race in Adelboden, a World Cup town relatively devoid of snow. As many as 20 men drove out during the two rounds. 17 of them in the first half, three in the second. Among those who drove out were the Norwegian quartet Atle Lie McGrath, Lucas Braathen, Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen and Alexander Steen Olsen. So did Fabian Wilkens Solheim. Braathen was very disappointed when he spoke to licensee Viaplay. – It’s such a mistake that I don’t even realize I’m making. It’s dung. Irritating. Right.
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Alpine profile carried away on a stretcher after a bad fall: – Didn’t know until now that there was blood in the snow
