Decisions Of FIS Council At Spring Meeting 2023
The FIS Council held its Spring meeting in-person on Wednesday 24th May ahead of the FIS Congress and dealt with a full agenda, including reports from Organising Committees of the FIS World Championships and Olympic Winter Games, the appointment of technical officials, proposals from the FIS Technical Committees, FIS World Cup calendars and rules updates.
The main decisions of the Council meeting are as follows:
FIS World Cup calendars 2023-2024
All FIS World Cup Calendars for the upcoming 2023-2024 season were approved by the Council. The approved calendars will be published on the FIS website shortly.
Russia-Belarus Participation
The current FIS policy, which does not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in FIS events, will remain in effect until further notice.
FIS World Championships –Future Hosts
The Council acknowledged the five candidates who will bid to host the 2028 and 2029 FIS World Championships. As previously announced, there are three Candidates for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Soldeu (AND), Val Gardena (ITA) and Narvik (NOR). Lahti (FIN) is the sole Candidate for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, while Planica has bid to host the 2028 Ski Flying World Championships.
FIS Games 2028
The Council approved plans to move ahead with the FIS Games in 2028. The FIS Games will see multiple FIS disciplines being staged during a two-week period in the same region as a highlight event during the non-Olympic and non-World Championship season. A bidding document has been sent to all National Ski Associations.
FIS 100-Year Anniversary
The Council expressed its excitement that 2024 will mark the 100-year anniversary of FIS. Planning is currently underway to commemorate this major milestone and details will be confirmed and announced closer to the start of the winter season.
Nordic Combined Future Working Group
The FIS Council appointed a Nordic Combined Future Working Group to help make the discipline an attractive, high-quality product for the long-term future of the sport. FIS Vice President Roman Kumpost will chair the six-person group.
Future Olympic Winter Games and World Championship Reports
Reports were received from the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Gangwon (KOR) 2024 and the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Cortina-Milano (ITA). Additionally, the Olympic Qualification System for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games was approved by the Council.
Reports were also received from all the hosts of the future FIS World Championships and Junior World Championships who have been elected through 2027.
The FIS Council additionally approved the competition programmes for all the 2025 FIS World Championships.
Change of Licence Registration
A total of 44 athletes across all FIS disciplines have changed their National Association licence registration in accordance with birth, family and/or residence requirements.
Technical Committees
Various updates to the International Competition Rules (ICR) were made. Noteworthy decisions from each discipline include the following:
Cross-Country Skiing
After introducing the same race distances for women and men to race equal distances last season, it was approved to move ahead with these distances in the future also at the World Ski Championships. An application process for the change of Olympic Winter Games distances will be initiated with the IOC. The approved distances are
- 10 km | 20km | 50km
- Skiathlon 10 + 10 km
- Relay 4x7,5 km | Team sprint
- Sprint
Ski Jumping
The use of a body scanner for body measurements of the athletes was approved for use starting next summer. It will be a fully automatic, digital measurement by laser scanner. Women’s Ski flying will also feature on the World Cup calendar after the successful first event staged last season in Vikersund.
Nordic Combined
A 7.5 km distance for Individual Gundersen events will be added to the ICR for the women, the 5 km distance will stay in the rules as well. Furthermore, the implementation of a Mixed Team Sprint and the Individual Compact format in the World Cup calendar was approved.
Alpine Skiing
After a successful trial during the Junior World Championships in St.Anton (AUT), the Team Combined will debut on the World Cup stage next season. Kitzbhuel (AUT) is set to be the first organiser of the format, which consists of a downhill or super-G run and a slalom run competed by nations who will field their best athletes in the individual disciplines.
Anti-Doping Update
The Council received updates on both National and International level doping cases
FIS Congress
The FIS Council granted the hosting rights for the 57th International Ski Congress in 2026 to Belgrade (SRB).
