Yesterday the International Biathlon Union announced their modified fluoro ban for the 2021-2022 season. The brief: C8 fluoros are banned, while C6 fluoros are permitted.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced on Tuesday they too are moving in a similar direction. “FIS has prohibited any products containing C8 fluorocarbons/PFOA at all FIS events from season 2021/2022 onwards, in line with the EU Regulation 2019/1021 (“POP-regulation”) and EC Regulation 1907/2006 („REACH“-regulation), which regulate the handling of fluorinated waxes,” announced FIS.
FIS said the hand-held fluoro detection device, the Fluoro Tracker, would not be in official use until after the 2021-2022 season. FIS, however, went on to state that during the 2022-2023 season the Fluoro Tracker would be fine-tuned as it would be used to test for the presence of fluoros during competitions. The FIS said that during the testing of the Fluoro Tracker in 2022-2023, a positive test for fluoros on a ski base would incur no penalty. The FIS said, “the device will be further tested in the real implementation process during the competition season, without penalisation.”
A New FIS President Coming:
This week FIS will elect a new President. The current President, Gian Kasper, is stepping down after holding the position since 1998.
Four candidates are confirmed as running for Kasper’s position. The most notable is former FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis. Lewis held that position for 20 years before being ousted in October of 2020. If Lewis wins, she will be the first woman to hold the position since the inception of FIS.
Also in the running for the FIS presidency are Mats Årjes of Sweden, Switzerland’s Urs Lehmann, and another Swede, Johan Eliasch. The new president is scheduled to be elected on June 4th.
Here Comes Minneapolis:
And finally, North American cross-country fans have light at the end of the scheduling tunnel. The long-awaited Minneapolis World Cup that had been canceled in March of 2020 as the pandemic began to rage, has been rescheduled. In the proposed 2023-2024 draft World Cup calendar, the race series will swing through North America from February 2 – February 24. The series begins in Canmore with a three-race stop (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). The following Friday, racing kicks off in Minneapolis for another three-race stint. Racing in the U.S. will conclude in Cable, Wisconsin. The Cable races are currently slated for Thursday, February 22, and Saturday, February 24.
The draft race calendar does not provide information on the type of races to be held during the potential North American World Cup swing.
