A moment that shook the skiing world. Roughly these words could be used to describe the tragic car accident in New Zealand, during which three members of the South Korean national skiing team lost their lives. Proof of this is the reaction of recognized winter sports icon Marcel Hirscher (35), who is returning to professional skiing after five years. How did he react to the overwhelming event?
According to the Austrian website Heute, a traffic accident with fatal consequences occurred on Wednesday, August 21, near the New Zealand city of Geraldine, when a passenger car collided head-on with an SUV. After the impact, two South Korean skiers and their coach died.
Another member of the team and the driver of the SUV were transported to a hospital in Christchurch after the accident. According to the New Zealand Herald, the members of the national team were heading to the Winter Games in Queenstown after a full day of training. “The loss of so many lives at once is shocking. Our sympathies go out to all those affected by this accident.” the local police inspector Vicki Walker said, according to the German server Deutsche Welle.
Acclaimed skier Marcel Hirscher, who was also in New Zealand at the time of the accident, also commented on the tragedy, where he spent nine days preparing for his expected comeback in Sölden, in which he will defend the Dutch colors instead of Austria. Among other things, he revealed that he trained at the same resort as the South Korean skiers! “At the same time we were training at Roundhill. Then came the shocking news of the accident,” the website Heute quoted a devastated Hirscher.
“It was a shock to everyone,” added the shaken star. The famous returner ended up flying out of New Zealand early on Sunday due to unfavorable conditions. But they were the last thing on Hirscher’s mind after the fatal accident.
Three members of the South Korean national skiing team lost their lives in a car accident.