The Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) is shaken by an abuse affair in which President Peter Schröcksnadel also comes under pressure. Former downhiller Nicola Werdenigg accuses Schröcksnadel of being inactive despite a warning.
“I know a case from 2005 that was brought to the team leaders’ attention. Schröcksnadel should have known that,”said Werdenigg on ORF. Schröcksnadel again complained that the former sportswoman had made accusations without becoming concrete:”The problem is that all team-mates are accused,”the Tyrolean explained and added that the 59-year-old is to call names today.
Werdenigg, who was Austrian downhill champion in 1975 under her maiden name Spieß and Olympic Champion in 1976 in Innsbruck, had reported in the newspaper Standard about sexual assaults against her person up to a rape by a teammate. At that time she was 16 years old. Even a ski manufacturer had touched her inappropriately.
“If you didn’t want to play, you put your starting position in danger,”explained the Tyrolean. The drivers had been “fair game”. In the meantime, another former athlete has made similar allegations anonymously.
In the standard, Schröcksnadel said that in his time as president, he never heard anything about sexual assaults. He could “not rule out one or the other pantscherl. The ÖSV also announced that it wanted to take uncompromising action against future cases.