FIS MEDIA INFO: Decisions of the FIS Council at its Spring Meeting in Cape Town (RSA)

Cape Town, June 2nd, 2008 – The FIS Council has now completed its traditional spring meetings at the 46th International Ski Congress in Cape Town (RSA), including the first meeting of the new Council elected by the FIS General Assembly on Friday 30th May. The 2008 FIS Congress was the first International Ski Congress staged on the African continent.

The Council's decisions included the following:

FIS World Cup calendars 2008/2009

Please see under each FIS discipline/World Cup

Long-term World Cup Calendar Planning

The Council decided that the framework for the FIS World Cup calendars should be based on four-year advanced planning, with key dates and events such as the Opening, Finals and classic events set early. The possibility to include new developing sites in certain pre-defined periods of the calendar should be left open until latest the spring 18 months before the season in question.

Revision of the organization of Nordic Combined

Following discussions concerning Nordic Combined over the past several months, the Council appointed Walter Hofer as head of Nordic Combined, as well as of Ski Jumping.

As a first step, there will be a test phase of the proposed competition format for Nordic Combined comprised of one jump followed by 10 km cross-country race on a 2.5 km loop to be carried out this summer. After thorough analysis by experts and the National Ski Associations, a final decision about the competition format for the next World Cup season will be taken at the Autumn meetings of the Technical Committees and the FIS Council.

The level below World Cup will become Continental Cup instead of World Cup B. These events will be organized in conjunction with the men's and ladies' Ski Jumping Continental Cup series. This will enable sharing of infrastructure and create organizational efficiencies.

There will be no changes to the program for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec which includes three Nordic Combined individual competitions and one team event.

Organizers of World Championships 2009

Appointment of the organizers for remaining championships in 2009 include Chamonix/Pras de Lys (FRA) as host of the 2009 FIS Junior Nordic World Ski Championships and Rettenbach-Bad Tatzmannsdorf (AUT) as host of the 2009 Grass Skiing World Championships from 1st -6th September 2009.

Revised regulations for rescue services for Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard events

The Council approved revised regulations for rescue services that will be included in the FIS International Competition Rules from the 2008/2009 season (Northern hemisphere season). Specific revisions were made to the required on-site facilities and information to the team physicians.

Doping violations / Anti-doping

In relation to the violations of FIS and IOC Anti-Doping Rules on the occasion of the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Torino, the FIS Council issued its decision concerning the Austrian Ski Association and its leaders and officials. On the basis of the recommendations of the FIS Doping Panel led by Justice Patrick Smith, the Council decided that

• there is no evidence that Peter Schröcksnadel had any personal liability for the events that transpired at the Torino Olympic Winter Games
• Markus Gandler shall be removed from the FIS Cross-Country Committees of which he is a member
• Austrian Ski Association acknowledges that it has some responsibility for the Torino affair inside the Cross-Country sector of its organization
• Austrian Ski Association will accept and pay a fine of CHF 1'000 for every athlete and support staff member found to have violated anti-doping regulations. The low amount of financial sanction considers the fine of CHF 1 million that has already been paid to the International Olympic Committee.

Moreover, the FIS Doping Panel found Cross-Country skier Maxim Odnodvortsev (KAZ) to have committed an anti-doping rule violation contrary to Articles 2.1 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules. He tested positive for the use of the Prohibited Substance that is identified on the WADA Prohibited List 2007 in Class 2.1b Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids. Based on laboratory analysis, the sample showed the presence of a T/E ratio > 4. The sample was submitted at a WADA out-of-competition control on 14th February 2007 in Otaki (JPN).

For a first-time violation, the athlete was sanctioned to a two-year period of ineligibility with a credit for the time of the provisional suspension. The period of Ineligibility commences as from the date of the publication and communication of this decision to the Kazakhstan Ski Association on 29th May 2008 with credit for the period of provisional suspension from 9th April 2008 to 28th May 2008. The athlete is therefore ineligible to participate in any capacity in an event or activity authorized or organized by FIS or any National Ski Association from 29th May 2008 until 10th April 2010 and his results shall be annulled from the date on which the Prohibited Substance was found.

Rules for the FIS Disciplines

Various modifications to the regulations in each of the FIS disciplines were made by the Council, on proposal of the respective technical committee. A summary of these is published in specific releases for each of the disciplines.