Six of those killed in Soelden accident were junior racers, says FIS

By Published On: September 8th, 2005Comments Off on Six of those killed in Soelden accident were junior racers, says FIS

Six of those killed in Soelden accident were junior racers, says FISSome of the skiers killed in a cable-car accident Monday at Soelden, Austria, were junior ski racers in the area for training.

Reuters reported that World Cup race director Guenther Hujara spoke to reporters on the scene. “We had a training group of school children from our region here — 28 children and five staff,” said Hujara, who is also a German, and a ski coach. Hujara added that it had been the last week of the athletes’ summer vacation.

According to the FIS, six of the victims were 13- and 14-year-olds who were members of several German ski clubs. Two of the adults that were killed were from Ski Club Mittenwald, a Bavarian ski club.

“Our thoughts are with all those touched by this tragic accident,” said the FIS in a news release Wednesday.

Soelden is the annual site of the opening races of the alpine World Cup. Throughout September and October, it is frequently a venue for teams that are training for the upcoming season.

In Monday’s accident, nine people were killed and several others injured when a helicopter dropped a 750 kilogram (1,653 pound) concrete block from a height of 300 meters (984 feet) onto the lift’s cables, causing at least one gondola to fall and others to swing violently.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh