Chemmy Alcott DQed by ski width error
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.”
