THE WOMEN'S SLALOM AT THE PRE-OLYMPIC MEETING IN THE FRENCH ALPS WAS YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) WON BY FLORENCE STEURER, OF FRANCE, BUT THE EVENT ITSELF WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE DRAMATIC WALKOUT OF AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND AND WEST GERMANY IN PROTEST AGAINST THE ACCOMMODATION THEY HAD BEEN ALLOCATED.

APART FROM CRITICISM OF THE ACCOMMODATION OFFERED TO THE VISITING TEAMS, MANY OF THE SKIERS CLAIMED THAT THE SKI-RUNS HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY PREPARED. THE FLARE-UP ON THESE COUNTS CAME ON TOP OF ILL-FEELING CAUSED BY AN INTERNATIONAL SKI FEDERATION RULING LIMITING THE NUMBER OF SKIERS FOR FOREIGN TEAMS. FRANCE, AS HOST NATION, WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTION.

M. MAURICE MARCEL, PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH SKI FEDERATION, WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING THE ACCOMMODATION -- ALLEGED BY ONE VISITOR TO BE "WORSE THAN A BARRACK ROOM" -- DESCRIBED THE WALKOUT AS EXCESSIVE.

IN THE ABSENCE OF ALL THEIR TOP RIVALS, FRANCE GAINED AN EXPECTED CLEAN SWEEP IN THE WOMEN'S SLALOM, WITH FIRST PLACE GOING TO 17-YEAR OLD RISING STAR FLORENCE STEURER. REIGNING WORLD SLALOM CHAMPION ANNIE FAMOSE TOOK SECOND PLACE, AND CHRISTINE BERANGER-GOITSCHEL, THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION, FINISHED THIRD TO GIVE FRANCE THE FIRST THREE PLACINGS. GUISTINA DEMETZ, OF ITALY, WAS FOURTH AND BRITAIN'S GINA HAWTHORN FIFTH.