INTERVIEW. “It’s sad and pathetic”, reacts Julien Lizeroux after the chaotic Zagreb slalom in the Alpine Skiing World Cup

After the cancellation of the Zagreb slalom on Thursday January 6, when 19 competitors had already started, several skiers expressed their anger, believing that their physical integrity had not been taken into account. On a difficult track, the Frenchman Victor Muffat-Jeandet fell and broke his ankle, one month before the opening of the Winter Olympics. Retired for a year, Julien Lizeroux is now an enlightened spectator of the World Cup and expresses his incomprehension regarding the organization of the event in Zagreb.

Franceinfo: sport: On social networks, you mentioned a lack of respect for skiers and a masquerade. What makes you angry?
Julien Lizeroux: It’s not anger, just sadness to see downhill skiing treated like this. The racing conditions this week were not at all worthy of the World Cup circuit, either for men or women. That’s why I’m talking about a total lack of respect for athletes and teams. Not only is it ugly to look at and it doesn’t show off the ski at all. But in addition it is dangerous for the athletes, we saw it with the injury of Victor Muffat-Jeandet.

Organizers put pressure on FIS [Fédération internationale de ski, ndlr] to organize at all costs. Athletes and coaches don’t have a say. And that gives rise to the race that we saw today. It is sad and pathetic.

Were these skiing conditions predictable and should the FIS have announced the cancellation of the slalom yesterday?
Everyone knew that the conditions were going to be difficult, that the races were going to be complicated. But we must also give the chance to the organizers to give everything to organize. AT Zagreb, the problem is already quite simply the snow control of the FIS, which should never have validated the organization of the race. Then the weather did the rest, with wind, rain and heat. We must not let financial interests take precedence over the sporting side, and know how to say stop when the conditions do not allow a fair race or when they are too dangerous.

Unfortunately, the organizers and the FIS do not consider the athletes. If one or one is injured, it does not matter, he will be replaced by another.

Julien lizeroux

to franceinfo: sport

Would the result have been fair if the slalom had ended?
No idea, I’m not a diviner. But start a runner every five minutes, put snow in the gates, water, put salt… We do that in the U12 category, not in the World Cup.

It was in these conditions that Victor Muffat-Jeandet was injured before the Games. By maintaining the slalom, has the FIS put an end to a skier’s Olympic dream?
I confirm it to you 100%.


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