Henrik Christophersen (29) says there is a void after Lukas Bräthen (23) in alpine sports. Both had a falling out with the Norwegian Ski Association.
He shocked Brathen by saying he would retire as a skater at the end of October. This happened after a dispute with the Ski Association. Kristofferson himself had previously been in conflict with the union.
-I’ve been on the same paths and thought about myself sometimes. “So I can understand the decision he made,” Kristofferson added. NRC this time. In a digital meeting with Norwegian journalists on Thursday evening, Brathen said:
– There is a void after Lucas in sports. Our sport needs strong personalities to attract attention. Henrik Kristofferson says Lucas is a strong character.
– I did not participate in the daily life around Lucas, but for sports it creates a vacuum.
About the treatment from the Norwegian Ski Association, Kristoffersen says:
– I understand Lucas and his decision, because I was in a similar situation, so most people know my position on this matter.
Kristofferson says he has no plans to announce himself:
– no! I’ll hold on for a few more years. Of course I will be cheerful and positive and answer questions as best I can, but in some ways I will be calmer. Kristofferson says others will be interested in this part, and notes that he won’t come up with as many new ideas as before.
This weekend there is a giant slalom and giant slalom in France’s Val d’Isère. Kristoffersen has only competed in one World Cup race this winter. There was a slalom race in Gargul, Austria, that attracted a lot of attention when demonstrators entered the finish area during the final run. Then the Norwegian technical file reacted.
The Alpine winter has been a very dull one so far. Kristofferson criticizes the list of terms:
– It may not be very smart to run on a glacier in November. We could have said that in advance.
– When preparing a race that starts at 3700-3800m in Zermatt, we know that the weather is more unstable at 3800m than at 2800m. It’s on top of a mountain, more exposed to the wind than down in the valley. We talked about that previously. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to find out.
As for the speed chutes at Beaver Creek, they had more bad luck. Training took place in good weather, but the weather turned bad on race days.
Henrik Kristoffersen warns against moving too many exposed chutes to later dates in the winter:
-It’s about safety. When you’re tired, there’s a greater risk of making mistakes – and that can ultimately lead to injuries.
– It is not possible to hold more races than are already on the schedule. For me, who only runs slalom and giant slalom, it works well. There is no predation. But it’s worse for those who drive more. It’s a big cycle, but it’s manageable. But if you have to move several rounds, it will become difficult. Then it’s about being smart and avoiding injuries.
Henrik Kristofferson won’t say much about what happened in Gorgul in November, when the Norwegian became angry after protesters entered the targeted area. He thought they had “zero respect.”
-It’s a lot about safety. About pulling flexibility too far. If we reach a speed of 90 km/h in the giant slalom, 120 km/h in super-G or 130 km/h downhill, we are talking about fatal accidents. We have to put our feet up before we get there.
Climate protesters lined up and threw orange powder on the ground. Then Henrik Kristoffersen saw red. Television images showed an angry Norwegian who had to be restrained by police. They prevented the Norwegian from entering the goal area to confront the protesters.
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