Racing: Kalle Palander changes to Fischer
29-year-old Finn to compete for World Cup points with skis, boots and bindings from Fischer
Starting immediately, Kalle Palander, one of the big stars in the Alpine skiing World Cup and greatest Finnish skier ever, will be skiing for Fischer. Coinciding with his 29th birthday, the Finn signed a three-year-contract at the Fischer headquarters in Ried yesterday, Tuesday 2 May. Palander will be fighting for World Cup points with the entire package from Fischer – skis, boots and bindings.
Voglreiter: "Palander is one of the big-name athletes"
"Kalle Palander is one of the really big-name athletes of the past four, five years. He was always up with the world's best throughout this period. It is a great pleasure to welcome him on board", says Siegi Voglreiter, Racing Director at Fischer, on the new face on the team. Voglreiter continues: "This transfer shows that we are on the right track. He is able to place his trust in our equipment without having tested it."
Palander: “I really feel at home there”
The whole Fischer package and crew convinced Palander. “The entire atmosphere at Fischer is really warm and positive”, says Palander. “I really feel at home there. My knee accident has given me time to think about the upcoming years of my career. I really want to have a fresh start in every respect. Fischer felt just right for me – especially in my current situation. Both development work and next year’s Fischer World Cup team are really top quality and strong.”
Factfile Kalle Palander (FIN)
Born on 2 March 1977. Height: 178 cm, weight: 79 kg. Hobbies: golf, tennis, motocross. Website: www.kallepalander.com. Biggest successes: Slalom World Champion Vail 1999, overall winner Slalom World Cup 2002/03, twelve World Cup victories (ten in Slalom, two in Giant Slalom). World Cup season 2005/06: overall World Cup: 7th place (801 points), Slalom World Cup: 2nd place (495 points), Giant Slalom World Cup: 5th place (306 points), two victories (Slalom Shigakogen 11 March 2006, Slalom Schladming 24 January 2006).
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