FIS. Schladming, 07.11.2011 -- The FIS Council held its Autumn Meeting at the Hotel Pichlmayrgut in Schladming, Austria and dealt with a full agenda, including reports from Organizing Committees for future FIS World Championships, the appointment of technical officials as well as proposals from the FIS Technical Committees with calendar updates and a number of rules.

On Sunday, the Council toured the new facilities led by Schladming Mayor Jürgen Winter who presented the new Media Center that will be officially opened on 9th December and will be in use already at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Night Race in January 2012. Ernst Trummer, CEO of Planai Bahnen showed the Council the new finish area and the subterranean service facilities.

Decisions of the FIS Council at its Autumn Meeting 2011 in Schladming

The main decisions of the Council in Schladming include the following:

Decisions directly related to ski sports

FIS World Cup calendars 2011/2012 to 2015/2016

Minor modifications to the FIS World Cup Calendars for the 2011/2012 season proposed by the respective Technical Committees were approved, the final versions of which are available on the FIS website.

FIS World Championships and Junior World Championships

The competition schedules for the 2013 FIS World Championships in Val di Fiemme (ITA) Nordic Events, Schladming (AUT) Alpine Events – albeit with a decision pending whether the slalom(s) can be carried out as night events – and Stoneham (CAN) Snowboard Events were confirmed. The program for the Freestyle Events in Voss (NOR) will be finalized shortly with the halfpipe events carried out in a new facility in Oslo.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme 2013, the Ski Jumping team event on the normal hill will be carried out as a mixed team event comprising two ladies and two men per team, whilst the Nordic Combined team competition will be carried out as the team sprint.

The following Organizers of FIS World Championships and Junior World Championships were appointed:

- Vars (FRA) as Organizer of the 2013 FIS Speed Skiing World Championships
- Jasna (SVK) as Organizer of the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships 2014

Olympic Winter Games and Youth Olympic Games

The progress report was received from Sochi 2014 where FIS Alpine World Cup competitions for men and ladies will be organized in February 2012. Innsbruck 2012 submitted its final pre-event update with the FIS member National Ski Associations looking forward to the innaugural Games. Additionally the first report from Pyeongchang 2018 was submitted following its election in July 2011.

World Cup prize money for 2012/2013

The minimum values of prize money for the 2012/2013 World Cup season were confirmed to remain the same as for the 2011/2012 season, with the following exceptions:

- Ladies Ski Jumping Grand Prix Events:
Minimum cash prize per single competition: CHF 6’000, divided between 1 - 6
Minimum cash prize per Team Event: CHF 6’000, divided between 1 - 3
Minimum cash prize per Mixed Team Event: CHF 10’000, divided between 1 – 3

- Increase of the minimum cash prize for Nordic Combined Team Events to CHF 30’000 (from CHF 20’000), divided between 1-3 for Team and 1-6 for Team Sprint

- Increase of the minimum cash prize for Freestyle Skiing to CHF 20’000 (from CHF 15’000), divided between 1-10

Anti-Doping

The decision of the FIS Doping Panel in the case of the Estonian Cross-Country skier Andrus Veerpalu (EST) that found that he committed an anti-doping rule violation contrary to article 2.1 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules after testing positive for the use of recombinant human growth hormone (recGH) during an out-of-competition doping control on 29th January 2011 in Otepää (EST) and declared ineligible to participate in any capacity in an event or activity authorised or organised by FIS or any National Ski Association for a period of three (3) years, until 23rd February 2014, has been appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Technical Committees

Cross-Country Skiing

The number of athletes who will receive bonus World Cup points in Cross-Country mass start races will be increased to ten (from three), which will also apply for bonus seconds at intermediate points of the mass start races in the Tour de Ski and the World Cup Final.

Nordic Combined

The final rules for the Nordic Combined penalty race were approved, which will be carried out at three events during the 2011/12 season.

Alpine Skiing

Injury Surveillance System - Specifications for Alpine Technical Equipment

The Council confirmed the equipment rules that were approved in conjunction with the ski industry in the interest of athletes’ safety in August 2011. These were based on the extensive research process led by the University of Salzburg. Following some further proposals for minor modifications from the ski industry in regard to the width of the front of the ski, the standing height for downhill and super-G and the minimum length of skis for ladies downhill, the Council mandated the Alpine Executive Board and its Technical Equipment Working Group of Experts to review these details together with the University and the research undertaken, in order to evaluate the effect on safety and thereafter take a final decision on the specifications valid from 2012/13.

At FIS Alpine World Cup races an athletes’ representative from the top 15 representing the views of the majority of athletes may have direct contact with the Jury in regard to proposals and requests.

Freestyle Skiing

Specifications to the rules for moguls and aerials were updated, whilst the detailed slopestyle rules were confirmed.

Snowboarding

Triple slalom regulations where three competitors ride simultaneously side by side down three parallel courses were confirmed.

The Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Coordination Group may submit joint proposals directly to the Council in the interests of harmonisation of rules and procedures.

Administrative Decisions

Bring Children to Snow Campaign – FIS World Snow Day

The inaugural FIS World Snow Day will take place on 22nd January 2012. To date more than 80 Organizers in 23 nations already signed up with considerable interest from many more for the 2012 and future editions.

Affiliation of new members

The Council accepted the provisional membership applications from Eritrea and Kosovo, subject to the approval of the FIS Congress in 2012.

FIS Congress 2012

The Council discussed the various proposals from the National Ski Associations to the FIS Congress 2012 that will take place from 27th May to 2nd June 2012 at the High 1 Resort, Kangwonland (KOR).

FIS
Press Release
08 November 2011