Winter sports: allegations of abuse: Schröckspine sees strain for ski ladies

According to ÖSV President Peter Schröcksnadel there is a danger that accusations of abuse could have a negative impact on the performance of female ski racers:”Indirectly it always burdens them,”said the 76 year old on Sunday in the ORF. Schröcksnadel relies on the “Klasnic Commission”for clarification. If there’s evidence of allegations, you’ll have to “surely apologize.”

Although the incidents described in the media, such as the alleged assaults of former coach Karl Kahr in the previous week, are “50 years ago,” the activists are nevertheless aware of them:”This will certainly put a strain on the women’s team, and we will also talk to them,”he revealed in Pyeongchang,”The only thing that can be done is simply not read. “They’re 10,000 kilometers away from home. They can get rid of history, they have nothing to do with it.”

Schröcksnadel described the time of publication of the accusations against Kahr as “somewhat alarming”. 50 years later, cooking up such a thing at the Olympic Games is very peculiar,”he said. Those who are the former sportswomen who have entrusted themselves to the Süddeutsche Zeitung do not know:”I don’t know”. Basically, however,”every single case should be proven to him, of course very, very, very sorry. But the evidence has to be put on the table. It must be completely cleared up.”

Waltraud Klasnic, the victim protection attorney of the ÖSV, has commissioned Waltraud Klasnic to advance the information campaign. The former head of Styria is also chairing a five-member council of experts:”We are waiting to see what is right. If it turns out that this is the case, we will surely have to apologize, even today for then. If it doesn’t turn out to be the case, then it’s good for the people affected, who are now standing in the public eye and being accused,”said Schröcksnadel.

The archives of the Ski Association are also to be made available:”We haven’t taken the trouble so far”, but for a given reason we will now look through the old records “There were locks at the time and so on. There’s been disciplinary proceedings, we’ll take a good look at them.”

Since 1990 we have changed everything since 1990, have very small groups of three, four, five people, at most seven if it is a downhill group. There is certainly the danger that something will happen, very, very small,”the Tyrolean said.