FIS Council reinforces commitment to athlete safety

Sep 24, 2025·Inside FIS

During its meeting this Wednesday in Zurich, the FIS Council brought athlete safety to the center of its agenda, addressing measures to further enhance protection across all disciplines of snow sports.

The Council emphasized the importance of establishing clear and consistent safety guidelines for all National Ski Associations. These will serve as a common framework for the entire skiing and snowboarding community, including:

Homologation of training slopes to ensure safe and appropriate conditions.
Regulation of safety equipment standards and safety protocols to protect athletes at every level.
Increased education and awareness around safety responsibilities throughout the sport.

The Council committed to strengthening any structures and protocols necessary to support FIS’ mission of protecting the athletes’ health and welfare.

“This is our number one priority. There is nothing that comes even close to it. The ecosystem around elite sports is a complex one, dependent on many factors and stakeholders, but if there is one organization that can lead the way when it comes to putting safety first, this is FIS. It is our duty to do so.”– Johan Eliasch, FIS President

Eligibility policy for men’s and women’s competitions approved

Following a period of thorough consultation with leading experts on the field, FIS presented to the Council a science-based eligibility policy for men’s and women’s competitions.

The eligibility conditions laid out in the policy are grounded on the presence or absence of the so-called SRY gene, the sex-determining gene present on humans’ Y chromosome.

Essentially, only SRY-negative competitors may compete in women’s competitions.

“This policy is the cornerstone of our commitment to protect women’s sport, and we are convinced that there is only one fair and transparent way to do that: by relying on science and biological facts."– Johan Eliasch, FIS President

With the eligibility policy now approved by the Council, FIS will engage with the National Ski Associations and other stakeholders to roll out an implementation plan.

Plans to further increase prize money

Having recently approved an increase of up to 20% in prize money for all FIS World Cup events − with 10% guaranteed by FIS and an additional 10% on a voluntary basis from each Local Organizing Committee− the FIS Council resumed discussions about how to sustainably increase athletes’ prize money in the future. Several options were considered, and a decision on the matter is expected for the next FIS Council meeting, on 21 October.