Nik Zoricic’s family demands independent investigation of his fatal crash in Switzerland
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has received an ultimatum from the family of Canadian skier Nik Zoricic to hold an independent investigation into the fatal crash during the World Cup skicross race in Switzerland on March 10, or else face legal action.
The Zoricic Family held a news conference in Toronto on Wednesday and bluntly issued a warning to the ski governing body to look into the matter to not only do justice to Zoricic, but also prevent such tragic accidents from happening in the future.
They stated that the tragedy was completely avoidable had the officials given more attention to the hill’s design. Zoricic’s father Predrag, who himself is a ski coach, pointed out the flaws in the course and especially the bottom of the course where his
son died. He conceded that his son was an elite athlete and skied without taking any unnecessary risks.
He further went on to add that he has been told by credible sources that the organisers of the World Cup skicross race in Switzerland
The 29-year-old ski cross racer’s death has been put down as a “freak accident” by his team and the officials, but the family strongly bluntly rejected this claim.
According to the Zoricic family lawyer Tim Danson, the claims by the Canadian skier’s team and officials are distortion of truth and injustice to the late skier.
“This was no freak accident. The finish line of this World Cup event was a death trap. It is unacceptable that an elite athlete like Nik Zoricic can make a perfect landing, barely miss the finish line by one metre, and be killed for it,” said Danson.
The Swiss authorities have already launched investigations following the March 10 crash, doing a detailed analysis of the course preparation and safety measures set up by the officials of the local race.
The details of the investigation findings are being kept confidential by the Bern police for now.
Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zoricic had raced on the World Cup circuit for over three years, with the race on March 10 marking his 36th event in Switzerland. He had done pretty well in the 2011 World Cup, managing to finish in overall
fifth place. He went on to secure eighth place in the world championships that was held at Deer Valley, Utah, later in the year.
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