'From day one': FIS embeds sports integrity into Technical Officials' training

Thanks to a joint effort between the FIS Sports Integrity and Education departments, every new FIS Technical Official (TO) must now learn the fundamentals of sports integrity before they take up their role, with 216 having completed the training so far.

Rather than responding to integrity issues after they occur, the aim is to make sure that the people closest to competition, the officials who run and oversee it, recognize the warning signs early and know what to do. "Working alongside the Education team, we wanted to ensure that every Technical Official understands the fundamental principles of sports integrity from day one, reflecting FIS' values and how we expect our stakeholders to interact," said Lou Levadoux, FIS Sports Integrity Coordinator, who designed and implemented the module together with the FIS Education department.

Built into ‘How we work at FIS’, the e-learning program for Technical Officials, the sports integrity component is organized around FIS' four integrity pillars: safeguarding (Safe Sport), anti-doping (Clean Sport), competition manipulation and betting (Fair Sport), and governance and ethics (Better Sport). Each area is delivered through scripts, case studies, quizzes, and interactive formats designed specifically around the operational role of a TO, so that the content reflects situations that officials could realistically encounter at an event rather than abstract principles.

“This delved deeply into matters beyond regulations and results. It prompted us to personally analyze what we represent as TOs at a competition,” said one participant, with another stating that the module gave them “a better understanding of the wider areas that impact our sport and what we can do to maintain its integrity.”

Prevention and awareness as the starting points

Integrity issues in sport are rarely resolved by rules alone. They depend on people noticing, understanding, and acting, often under time pressure and in the middle of a competition. By giving TOs a shared foundation across all disciplines, the module aims to strengthen both awareness and practical decision-making, so that the first line of prevention is already in place when officials arrive at a venue.

“A lot of information - especially regarding the behavior of TOs - is taken as a given, but it’s good to remind people and emphasize this, especially for those just starting out on this path,” said one newly qualified TO.

“Reinforcement of the principles of fair sport is important, as it’s critical to faith in our system,” added a fellow new appointee. “The Safe Sport section reinforces our national Safe Sport program. We want athletes to be safe on every front.”

Joining forces

The module is also a product of how FIS works internally, with the Sports Integrity team developing the content and the Education team integrating it into the existing TO learning pathway. Sports integrity is thus part of the standard curriculum rather than a separate add-on.

“Technical Officials are among the people closest to the competition environment, so a strong understanding of sports integrity is essential to their role,” Cornelia Blank, FIS Education Manager, told Inside FIS. “That is why we have integrated sports integrity into their core education rather than treating it as something separate, to be bolted on.”

“This module represents an important milestone, but it’s not the end of the journey. Continuous review and improvement are a core part of how we approach education, ensuring that our learning opportunities remain relevant, engaging and impactful,” continued Blank, before touching on how this joint project will continue to evolve.

“This work will continue to be developed in close partnership with our colleagues in the Sports Integrity department. We’re already looking at how safeguarding and integrity-related topics can be integrated into other educational pathways, including coach education, using approaches that are tailored to the needs of different stakeholder groups.”

For the officials who run and oversee competitions, it means a key foundation stone is already in place before they reach the venue.

Find out more

The FIS Technical Officials Education Platform, featuring everything you need to know about becoming and progressing as a Technical Official, can be found here: https://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/knowledge-center/officials-education/about

Information on FIS' sports integrity framework is available at https://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/integrity, where you can find dedicated pages for clean sport, safeguarding, ethics, and athletes’ sports integrity resources.

Report a concern and get support

If you have a concern about safeguarding, ethics, or clean sport, you can report it through FIS’ official channels.

FIS has established a sports integrity partnership with Global Sports Investigations (GSI), which operates the external Integrity Hotline independently.

Online: https://fis-integrityunit.integrityline.com/

Phone: +44 (0)207 034 3403

Email: FIS@email-fis.integrityline.com

Reports submitted through the Integrity Hotline are handled confidentially and with care. Information is only shared where necessary to assess the concern, protect individuals, or ensure fair and appropriate handling.

You do not need to be certain before reporting. If you are unsure, you are encouraged to seek advice or raise a concern.