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Senegal's leading skier to miss out on chance of glory

The Senegal ski team, consisting solely of 26-year-old Leyti Seck, was expected to be represented at the current Alpine skiing world championships.

That changed at a meeting on Sunday, when Seck's coach withdrew him from a race to be held yesterday in protest at new qualification rules.

Senegal is angry that the International Ski Federation, which organizes the championships, created qualifying races for the men's slalom and giant slalom. The new rules arise from an effort by the federation, known by its French abbreviation, FIS, to reduce the number of skiers in events to a more manageable size for television broadcasts.

The top 50 racers in the world are guaranteed a start in the men's giant slalom tomorrow, but another group had to qualify for the race by finishing in the top 25 in a special giant slalom yesterday, an elimination race for 101 racers from non-traditional ski nations.

That qualification race was planned and announced months ago, but only last week did the FIS decide there would also be qualifying for the men's slalom.

At Sunday's meeting of team captains, Lamine Gueye, Senegal's ski team coach said the FIS had put a knife in the back of small nations, a comment that drew applause. He suggested a solution that included one start position each for "non-Alpine nations."

When this fell on deaf ears Gueye demanded that Seck's name be removed from the start list for yesterday's race. When this was refused, he pulled the magnetic card with Seck's name on it off the wall where the start order was being assembled.

Gueye later said that he had acted on the wishes of Seck.
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