Oberhofen - At its meeting in Bariloche (ARG) on Monday 5th November, 2007, the FIS Council took the following important decisions:
Main Items
- The most significant item on the FIS Council's agenda was the launch of a project entitled “Bring back Children to the Snow.” This is designed as a worldwide campaign to encourage children and families to return to skiing and to the snow. Introducing youngsters to skiing and the snow is vital for the future of ski sport and the project is foreseen to involve governments and schools, tourism organizations, the UNESCO foundation as well as the ski industry. This project is estimated to be launched in the medium term and will be coordinated by a specialized international public relations agency.
- In addition, the Council approved collaboration with the sports marketing agency Infront to develop a project to optimize branding, marketing and impact of the FIS Alpine World Cup.
Reports on future FIS World Championships
- The Council acknowledged that the Organizing Committees of the 2009 FIS World Ski Championships in the Alpine and Nordic Disciplines in Val d'Isère (FRA) and Liberec (CZE) now appear to be progressing following major organizational changes during the summer. However, the Council expressed its concern about the political interference that had occurred in Liberec.
- The deadline to submit applications for the 2013 FIS Snowboard World Championships was extended to 31st March, 2008. At the initial deadline of May 1st, 2007, no applications were received whereby firm interest has been notified to FIS.
- Kreischberg/Murau/St. Georgen (AUT) was confirmed as Organizer of the 2009 Telemark World Championships.
- The Council expressed serious concern in regard to the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Sczcyrk (POL) 2008, following inspections by the FIS experts at the end of October which showed that there is still much work to be done. It decided that the championships will only go ahead in February if the Nordic Combined World Cup B competitions at the beginning of January 2008 can be carried out properly.
Olympic Winter Games 2010 in Vancouver
- The Qualification and Participation Criteria for the 2010 Games – prepared in collaboration with the IOC Sports Department and VANOC – were approved. They introduce a maximum total number of competitors in all FIS disciplines and allocate a fixed number of quota places per discipline to the National Olympic Committees. Specific details about the timelines for the allocation and reallocation of unused places will be worked out during the 2007/08 season.
FIS World Cup Calendars
- The Council approved minor modifications to the FIS World Cup calendars for the 2007/2008 season, the final versions of which are available on the FIS website.
- The request of the German Ski Association to make further significant changes to the FIS World Cup calendars was acknowledged. However, the Council decided that despite the circumstances of the German Ski Association, such requests which include the addition of a Men's Alpine World Cup race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in February 2008 and the cancellation/rescheduling of one of the Stages of the FIS Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf cannot possibly be accepted with the season already underway. The only exception is with the Nordic Combined calendar request (the competition season of which has not yet started) which sees the requested consolidation of events.
- The Council approved the FIS World Cup calendars for the 2008/2009 season which will be published on the FIS website. The decision between Bormio or La Thuile (ITA) as candidates for men's Alpine events will be taken at the Council Meeting during the International Ski Congress in May 2008. Sestrière is back in the men's Alpine World Cup calendar with a slalom and giant slalom in 2009 for the first time since hosting the Olympic technical events in 2006.
FIS Media Strategy
- A proposal initiated by the FIS Committee for Public Relations and Mass Media outlining a New Media Strategy for the FIS and National Ski Associations was approved, which takes account of the technological developments that are currently affecting the distribution of digital content. The Council decided to submit this proposal to the 2008 FIS Congress.
Anti-Doping
- The report of Chairman of the FIS Doping Panel informed that the decisions in the cases of the Austrian Cross-Country athletes and officials regarding possible violations of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules during the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Torino should be concluded before the end of the year.
- Furthermore, the suspension of the funds of the Kazakhstan Ski Association was lifted, combined with a warning that the Association must remain in compliance with the obligations of anti-doping work.
Prize Money
- The Council confirmed the same values of prize money for the 2008/2009 season as for 2007/08. Similar to overall prize money introduced for the Cross-Country World Cup as of the current season, Nordic Combined will introduce prize money for the overall World Cup that is paid out from each World Cup event purse.
Business Affairs
Furthermore, the FIS Council acknowledged satisfactory financial reports on the 2006-07 accounts, and approved a number of requests for FIS Solidarity assistance for worthy projects. Finally, it approved the majority of requests for amendments to the rules in the various disciplines submitted by the FIS Technical Committees.