Robinson coaching team frozen out by government
Champion Kiwi ski racer Alice Robinson won’t have her regular coaches in New Zealand this winter.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has turned down a request for Robinson’s American coaches Jeff Fergus and Pepi Culver to receive an exemption to enter the country.
Robinson’s other coach, Italybased Kiwi Chris Knight, has a new baby and couldn’t commit to a sevenweek stint, including two weeks quarantine in New Zealand.
“I never really thought it would get approved for them [Fergus and Culver] to come down, so I was hoping Chris would come down for a bit. I was a bit disappointed that no one would be here. But luckily we have figured out what to do and I’m enjoying it,” Robinson told the Weekend Herald from Queenstown.
The 18-year-old winner of two of the six completed World Cup races on the FIS calendar last season is facing a different build-up to her World Cup campaign.
Like most sports, Covid-19 brought an end to the World Cup season and there is uncertainty as to what the 2020-21 season will look like.
Her coaches have come up with a plan B to help her through the New Zealand winter, recruiting Ian Mclean, who has been a technical coach with the German Ski Federation, to work with her.
However, not having her full team has impacted the Kiwi’s plan to develop her prowess in other disciplines such as Super G and downhill.
“It’s not the time for me to be trying downhill with none of my staff being here.
“I am focusing on the real basic fundamentals, doing a lot of drills, dual courses and getting the basics really right.”
Robinson’s European rivals have been skiing on glaciers in Austria since May but leaving for Europe early was never an option for the Kiwi sensation who is bracing to spend up to seven months offshore when she leaves for Europe.
“It was never an option to go for a training camp and then have to come back to New Zealand and quarantine for two weeks. It’s so easy for me to train here and [Coronet Peak] is a 10-minute drive from my house, so going to Europe at this time of year is unrealistic.”
Robinson is planning on spending the next month skiing in the South Island before heading to Europe in early September with the aim of not returning home until the season ends in late March.
The nine-race World Cup giant slalom season is scheduled to start in Soelden in Austria in late October and end in Lenzerheide in Switzerland in late March. In between is the alpine skiing world championships, slated for Cortina in Italy in February.
However, Robinson is preparing for the probability that the calendar will undergo changes due to Covid-19.
“I am thinking Soelden [where she won her first World Cup race last October] is going to go ahead as per usual and then it’s a matter of being adaptive for the rest of the season because I am sure there will be quite a few changes.
“I am not sure about America. [Killington in Vermont] is still on the calendar but I can’t see it going ahead. Maybe Canada will go ahead because they seem to be in control [of Covid19] over there, but I can’t see anything happening in the United States in the near future.”
Robinson is comfortable she will have to spend seven months away from home.
“I will have a base in Italy again [with Knight] but I am lucky I have some family in London, too, which I can go to for some down time.
“But it’s definitely a really long stretch and will be tough — but it’s what I’ve got to do. There’s no other option, so I can’t complain about it.”