FIS MEDIA INFO: Main Decisions of the FIS Council at its Autumn Meeting in Oberhofen (SUI)

Oberhofen, November 20th, 2006 – At its traditional Autumn Meeting held in the FIS Office in Oberhofen (SUI) on Friday 17th November, the FIS Council has made the following important decisions:

Decisions directly related to the sport organization

• Appointment of future organizers of FIS World Championships as follows:
  • FIS Roller Ski World Championships 2007 in Oroslavje (CRO), 30th August to 2nd September, replacing Bergamo (ITA)
  • FIS Grass Skiing Junior World Championships 2007 in Nova Levante (ITA)
  • FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships 2009 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER)
  • FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships 2010 in Termas de Chillan (CHI)
  • FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships 2010 in Hinterzarten or Oberhof/Klingenthal (GER)
• Approval of the respective Technical Committee's proposals for the 2007/2008 FIS World Cup calendars, including the “Big” FIS World Cup Finals for Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country, Freestyle and Snowboard in Bormio (ITA) in March 2008.
• Appointment of Åre (SWE) as organizer of the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals in 2008/2009. In the future, candidates for the World Cup Finals (nation and site) need to be submitted to FIS four years in advance of the event.
• Confirmation of FIS World Cup prize-money amounts for the 2007/2008 season to remain the same as for the current season. As a trial in Cross-Country Skiing, the Council approved the possibility of allocating the amount of CHF 2'500 per competition into a so-called “overall World Cup pool” that will be distributed at the World Cup Finals for the World Cup winners.
• Approval of the rules for a knock-out format for aerials competitions in Freestyle Skiing and minor adaptations to rules in Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Alpine Skiing, Grass Skiing and Telemark.
  Confirmation of the height of the ski boot sole for children at 43mm (the same as for ladies and men) from the 2008/2009 season, whereby the newly-formed Alpine Sub-Committee for Youth and Children's Questions will review whether this should be reduced.
• Confirmation of the minimum age for participation in FIS Snowboard or Freestyle World Championships and World Cup events at 15 as from the 2007/08 season. For participation in the FIS Junior World Ski Championships and other international level competition in Snowboard the minimum age will be 13, and in Freestyle Skiing aerials, moguls and half-pipe 14.

Financial and administrative decisions

• Appointment of Fritz Wagnerberger as sole President of the Marc Hodler Foundation following the passing away of Marc Hodler, and appointment of FIS Vice President Leonid Tyagachev as Member of the Marc Hodler Foundation Board.
• Confirmation of the decision of the Council's Executive Board to approve the contract with Longines for the provision of timing and data services for the FIS Alpine World Cup at no cost to the event organizers, including for the provision of accommodation to the service team from Longines. The contract had been negotiated following the decision of the 2006 International Ski Congress for FIS to conclude a contract for the services and marketing rights on behalf of all National Ski Associations.
• Increase in the minimum recommended amount of liability coverage for FIS races from CHF 1 to 3 million, now equaling the amount required for FIS World Cup events.
• Approval of requests from FIS Solidarity for financial support of special projects or activities that are not part of the regular day-to-day work of a National Ski Association in Croatia, India, Ireland, Kyrgistan, New Zealand, DPR Korea, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
• Approval of precisions to FIS Procedural Guidelines of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules.
• Definition of specifications for commercial markings on Snowboards.
• Confirmation of the list of equipment and accessories that may be taken onto the podium for the winner's presentation (flower ceremony).
• Approval of changes of license including certain World Cup athletes (Cross-Country - Santer ITA to BEL, Nordic Combined Schmid SUI – NOR, Alpine - Imboden SUI to Moldova). In addition, a Council Working Group will review new regulations in regard to change of license to ensure that the National Ski Association for whom an athlete is competing is the center of the athlete's life.
• Appointment of remaining FIS Officials for the 2007 FIS World Championships as well as key technical officials in World Championships Organizing Committees of the 2007 Junior Nordic World Ski Championships in Tarvisio (ITA) and 2008 Ski-Flying World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf (GER).
• Appointment of members and substitutions for FIS Committee members for the remainder of the 2006-2008 period, including the new Sub-Committees for Youth and Children's Questions. Alpine Sub-Committee Chairman Ken Read (CAN) was nominated as Chair of the Coordination Group for Youth and Children's Questions. The other Sub-Committees will be chaired by Satu Kalajainen (FIN), Harald Heim (AUT) and Polly-Jo Clark (USA) for Cross-Country, Ski Jumping and Freestyle/Snowboard, respectively.
• Nomination of Hans Blix (SWE) to the FIS Ethics Commission.
• Approval of Rules of Procedure for the FIS Court.
• Affiliation of the new National Ski Association of Serbia and National Ski Association of Montenegro as associate members of FIS, subject to ratification by the FIS Congress in 2008. In addition, a provisional authorization for a specific list of athletes to be submitted by the Ski Association of Kosovo as wild card participants in FIS-level and international children's calendar events for the 2006/2007 season.
• Postponement of the decision regarding the host of the 47th International Ski Congress in 2010 to the Council meeting in February.

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