The revolution is underway at the International Ski Federation (FIS). Now chaired by the Swede Johan Eliasch, elected last June to succeed the Swiss Gian-Franco Kasper, the body seems determined to dust off its international calendar and its competition formats. With a first target: alpine skiing. An online meeting brought together team leaders, athlete representatives and race organizers last weekend. Among the ideas mentioned, the project of adding a third edition of the world championships to each Olympiad. Currently, the planetary meeting takes place every other year, in odd years. But its new general secretary, Frenchman Michel Vion, explained that the FIS was considering a sort of “ mini Olympics » in non-Olympic even years. The project could be realized as early as 2024, at the latest in 2028. Among the other avenues of reflection studied by the FIS, the elimination of the super-G, but also a reform of the format of the downhill in the World Cup, with two events of different levels organized on the same day on the same track. The first would be reserved for the 24 best descenders, the second bringing together the rest of the competitors, with a system of promotion and relegation from one group to another depending on the results. The most attractive ideas will be proposed to the national federations for adoption at the next FIS congress, scheduled for June 2022 in Portugal.
