Downhill rider Kristian Ghedina nearly hits a deer in Val Ghedina

memorable

December 18, 2004: Kristian Ghedina looks for fifth win at Val Gardena Saslong to equal Franz Klem (Franz Klemm) record. But the race weekend got off to a rocky start: the Italian's car was broken into. But things are about to get crazier…

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«Look, look, look! What's inside? There's a deer in there! A deer hits the mark! ” ORF commentator Armin Assinger could not believe his eyes. Shortly before the end of the “Saslong” race, a deer suddenly appeared next to skier Kristian Ghedina! Even the ski legend Assinger had never experienced anything like this. matter.

Ghedina has been on the road for more than 100 seconds, running on the snow-covered meadows of “Ciaslat”, and he is probably thinking: “This too!” because the start of the race weekend was completely different from the plans of the local hero. The day before the first race, the northern Italian car was broken into at a car show in Bologna. The racer's ski boots were stolen.

Therefore, the person who was robbed had to travel to Austria to have a new pair of inner shoes made. Three hours away in the Asserferner Valley, Ghedina knew a shoemaker who was an expert in insoles and foam ski boots. What a trick! That was the day before his favorite drop. The lovable speedster has won here four times. He was just one win shy of equaling Franz Klemm's record.

But even without this incident, Christian Gedina wouldn't be one of the most popular players. At 35 years old, the local hero is getting a bit old. He hasn't won a World Cup race in three years, his last victory coming in Val Gardena.

Gedina ignores deer

His 14th World Cup win or another podium finish isn't going to add up to this Saturday in December – Kristian Ghedina ends the race in a barely mentionable 12th place . But with the deer incident, the script for the 2004 Val Gardena downhill race still gave downhill skiers a very special role.

For a moment, it looks like the lost animal is about to race the skier, but Gedina's speed is to Bambi what Speedy Gonzalez is to Garfield. The Italians were traveling very fast and luckily left the Val Gardena forest dwellers on the left. It's hard to imagine what would happen if a collision occurred at such speeds.

Gedina hunkered down in the final meters and reached the end zone unscathed. A smile immediately appeared on the Italian's face: the 35-year-old seemed amused as he pointed at his unwanted sparring partner. It takes a while for the deer to find its way to the finish line. This four-legged friend was very nervous and kept rushing towards the safety net.

Cross the finish line with a happy ending

Moments later, the uninvited visitor also found his way into the end zone. Not only was he thunderously applauded, but he was immediately captured. The race was won by outsider Max Rauffer, who pushed Swiss Jürg Grünenfelder into second place, with a lead of just five hundredths of a second. The favorites had little to do and the game became an unpredictable wind lottery. But regardless, the outcome was secondary, and Val Gardena 2004 will be remembered primarily for Ghedina's encounter with the deer.

The fact that this near-disaster remains positive in people's minds has a lot to do with Christian Gedina's calm demeanor. When asked if he saw the deer, he responded, “Did I see it!” I said to him, “Hey, what are you doing here?” I even thought about stopping and hugging him,” the skier continued describing his experience, but “then I thought about it, but maybe it would have been better to finish the race. “Race. After all, not everyone gets the chance to ski with animals in a World Cup race.”

In January 2005, Ghedina finished second in Chamonix and of course received the prize: a deer!Image: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The deer also leaves with ease: after capturing it, the helper releases it outside the target area. Left alone in the snow-covered forest of Val Gardena, the fawns will soon be able to hug their mother again: a true happy ending! Unlike Bambi, because mom will never come back. Gedina was not a bad hunter but a friendly skier.