Olivier Senn, Sports Director of the Cycling and Paracycling Road World Championships in Zurich, comments on questions surrounding the accidental death of Muriel Furrer.
Olivier Senn, you have to function despite the tragic accidental death of Muriel Furrer in the junior road race. How are you doing?
Senn: It's not easy for anyone, but 'having to function' gives me support. I'm working through point by point.
Which points are priorities?
Firstly, the World Championship races will continue as scheduled, also at the request of my family. Secondly, I have to look after the team in this situation. Many, especially young helpers, are experiencing this situation for the first time. Others have already had to go through this with Gino Mäder. We have to make sure that the staff and volunteers are ready for their task despite the emotions. And thirdly, as LOK Zurich 2024, we are cooperating fully with the public prosecutor's office.
Investigations into the circumstances and location of the accident are ongoing. No reliable information was available on Friday, and no speculation was made with reference to the ongoing investigations. Will you be able to say more on Saturday morning?
No, and I can't either. I don't know how the accident happened or where exactly it happened. We know where Muriel was found, but we don't know exactly what the scene of the accident looks like. What is generally known and true: The accident happened on the descent into the woods after Küsnacht.
What is the division of tasks between the public prosecutor's office and the OC since Muriel Furrer was found?
The police and the public prosecutor's office are investigating the course of the accident. We are responsible for the rescue chain and handling the media.
Did the rescue chain work?
Yes, very well. Within minutes of receiving the accident report, the doctor and ambulance were on the scene and began providing first aid. The rescue helicopter was also on standby.
But it didn't take off for a very long time.
At the beginning, it was all about first aid. In addition, the accident site was not accessible to the helicopter. Muriel also had to be made fit for transport first.
From the moment the alarm was raised, it certainly worked perfectly. However, Muriel Furrer was apparently lying undiscovered at the scene of the accident for some time. The bikes are equipped with GPS trackers, aren't they?
Yes, the bikes are equipped with GPS trackers. The information from the tracker is primarily used for TV reporting.
Did you take a risk with the choice of route?
The route development began during the 2019 bidding phase. After in-depth clarifications, including with regard to road safety, the World Championship routes were developed and approved by the world governing body.
Were there never any concerns about this descent through the forest?
Never. Neither from the UCI nor from the teams that trained on the course. We never had any negative feedback about this section. And: So far, there have been around 1500 rides at this World Championships and, as far as I know, only one crash. Unfortunately, a very tragic one. The World Championship route has been analyzed many times in terms of risks. There are no risks above the usual level.
And Muriel Furrer, who grew up and trained near the scene of the accident, must have ridden through the passage many times. Was there any feedback regarding the course safety in this section of forest?
We are adhering to the regulations of the world governing body. The UCI has approved the course safety.
Many questions are still unanswered. When will the public get clarity?
The Gino Mäder case shows: These investigations need time so that the circumstances of the accident can be completely clarified.
SDA
