JASNÁ (25th January 2024) While the unfortunate fall and injury of Petra Vlhova, leading to the premature end of the season for the Slovak skier, left its mark on the atmosphere of the World Cup in Jasna, foreign athletes and spectators praised the organization.
Igor Rataj: Thank you all for the successful presentation of Slovakia
Igor Rataj, the chairman of the board of TMR, the company operating the Jasna ski resort, was also pleased. “It was really great, the weather helped us a lot, people enjoyed themselves. The World Cup race in Jasna turned into an amazing ski festival. I must thank everyone for the successful presentation of Slovakia,” he declared in front of JOJ Šport television cameras, which broadcasted live from the event.
He emphasized that almost 900 people contributed to the organization. “The most demanding was probably the logistics to Demänovská Dolina; on Saturday, about 13,000 people passed through there, but we managed that too. The traffic jam was only on the highway at the exit to the overflow parking, but people were tolerant. The fact that we didn’t have to deal with anything significant brings a smile to my face,” he continued.
Paška: The Best Reward
Even the president of the Slovak Ski Association, Martin Paška, had no reason for criticism. “This was the best reward for hours of work we did here. We only had six months for preparation. The Ski World Cup is a unity on snow, so it was a challenging task, but the team that took it on already has a lot of experience. It includes old campaigners and heartful people. Thanks to them, we managed it,” Paška rejoiced.
The budget of the event, which eventually reached 3.8 million euros, had to be unfortunately negotiated with three Slovak governments, as Paška noted, but the organizers succeeded in fulfilling it.
According to the head of Slovak skiing, professional rescuers in Jasna also deserve credit. “They really did a lot of work here. Thanks also to the fans who helped us create a great atmosphere.”
Jasna in Three Years? We’ll See
Jasna hopes to experience similar festivities in three years. “Whether it will succeed, I don’t know. Now we’ll take a breath. We’ll evaluate it, and at the FIS congress in the spring, we’ll see,” revealed race director Jana Palovičová. She was thrilled by the fact that spectators didn’t change their minds about attending on Sunday, even though they knew they wouldn’t see Petra Vlhova on the track. “Despite that, they came and enjoyed it. It was really the biggest sports celebration in Slovakia. People missed it,” she added.
According to Palovičová, the biggest challenge of the entire World Cup organization was transportation. “It was tough, but I think we managed it,” she declared.
