We have not had a proper union for ten years. No wonder Peter is ignored by the great powers – Winter sports – Sports

He misses his daughter and the adrenaline that her arches bring. The father of the leader of the World Cup of Alpine Skiers Igor Vlha can go to the races, but he does not want to take unnecessary risks.

“Petra was sad after Flachau. She is only interested in victories, “he said after Tuesday’s slalom in the Austrian center, where Petra Vlhová took fourth place behind Mikaela Shiffrinová, Katharina Liesnbergerová and Wendy Holdenerová.

You enjoyed your daughter’s two victories in Flachau live, but this time you watched the race only on television. Didn’t it attract you?

As a member of the team, I can enter a bubble that works during World Cup events. But I don’t want to do it.

Is it an unnecessary risk?

Yes. We would like to be there with her and Peta would like us to come. However, we agreed with coach Livio Magoni that we will not go to any races this year.

Do you miss it?

Sure, I miss my daughter and the adrenaline that racing brings. She is a priority, others must go sideways.

Petra has five slaloms. She won three, she was fourth twice, she has four hundred points. Are you satisfied after Flachau?

I have to praise her. She had three races in four days and she still had to switch from long skis. It is not easy, few competitors have been like Pete in all previous World Cup venues. She is strong, but also a little tired. In Flachau, she did not show a bad ride in the second round. She made two mistakes on two waves. The competition is not asleep, it punished her for them.

Is fourth place a disappointment to you?

Of course I’m not completely satisfied. It’s a shame, but I don’t make it a science. I am very happy that she has established herself so quickly in speed disciplines. He is not afraid of them, he just needs a little habit and practice. The speech was good, the mat made of aggressive snow did not suit her. Peta has a stronger expression, for example Katharine Liensberger, it fits more because it is lighter. He will rest for two months from the slalom in the World Cup, the next one will be in March in Jasná. Meanwhile, still at the World Cup, but there will be plenty of time to prepare.

And what did Petra say on the fourth place?

She was sad. She is only interested in victories. There is no time to get too involved, we move on. It should be noted that in addition to Michelle Gisin, the other three girls (Shiffrin, Liensberger and Holdener) could focus more on slalom training. I am glad that Petra remained in the narrow circle of the best, despite the fact that she started all the races for the first time.

Is it true that the superpowers are making trouble for her?

It is natural that they are nervous. They have huge budgets and representations, but they are defeated by a private team. We do not have such a strong union behind us. I would even say that for ten years it has looked as if we have none in Slovakia. He’s on the verge of collapse. I hope it works out. They treated Petra like a rag, they did not show interest in her for years. How do we then want to claim some conditions for training in competitions of great powers at meetings during the World Cup, when in the vast majority of cases the Slovak Ski Association did not have a representative there?

Is the situation really that alarming?

The current vice-president of the Slovak Ski Association (SLA), Marino Mersich, has only competed a few times during Petra’s time in the World Cup. No one takes him seriously, everyone knows his mafia practices. For other associations, such methods are unacceptable, so they ignore us and do not take us seriously. Later, they also sent Mr. Radovan Cagala from the association. He did a great job, he got among them. The result? He was fired. It is a pity that they got rid of such a clever person.

On the Slovak Sports Portal, Ski Team Vlha is still a member of the Slovak Ski Association, although you have publicly declared that you have left the SLA. Why?

Systematic implementation in the SLA set by Mersich continues. They are breaking the law. He says that if you unsubscribe from a civic association, the trademark must deregister you within ten days. There are about 70 clubs and 1,100 members, including ours, who have left the SLA but are still registered. It is also interesting that three months ago the SLA claimed that it had 4,200 members, now there are six hundred more. At the same time, I know that more than a thousand members have left the SLA to date.

If the situation does not change by tomorrow, the International Ski Federation (FIS) will return the competences of the SLA and restore its financial flows, as it represents more members of the ski community podľa, according to a letter published on social networks by both aspirants for the position of umbrella organization of Slovak skiing.

The numbers published there are not based on the truth. These are available to the Ministry of Education, which yesterday sent a letter to the FIS with official numbers.

And what are they?

I have information that the SLA has about 1,200 members and 90 clubs, while the Slovak Skiing Association (ZSL) covers more than 3,000 members and 90 clubs. I believe that the truth will come out and the ten-year lie will end. I hope that children and athletes will finally be able to do sports and not these struggles. Slovak skiing urgently needs it.

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