Snowsport GB - Sestriere Colle, Italy.
Chemmy Alcott was disqualified after the first run of the
Women's Combined Slalom today after her slalom ski failed
to meet the required tolerances of FIS Rule 222.1. It is believed
her ski failed to measure within the minimum width tolerance
by 0.2 mm.
Chemmy will be unable to take any further part in the Combined
event, including tomorrow's rescheduled downhill.
"We are not clear where the responsibility lies at the
moment. We introduced a rigorous policy of ensuring all skis
were measured after Schladming (2004 when Alain Baxter was
DQ'd for an infringement of a different measurement rule),
but I can't be sure that all skis are measured for width,
certainly they are checked for the height rule." Confirmed
Mark Tilston, Snowsport GB's Performance Director.
"To a certain extent we expect the ski manufacturer
to produce skis which are within the rules, but with tolerances
this small it could also be down to differences between the
measuring devices. We can't know at this stage."
"The reality of the situation is that Chemmy was over
2.5 seconds off the pace after the first run. For us this
event was only about scoring a top 5 and it is very difficult
to see her reaching there from the position she was in."
said Tilston, "Let's put it this way: we would have been
very much more annoyed had the downhill gone ahead and she
had done well in it, and then this happened."
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