In order to legally compete in any event sanctioned by the International Ski Federation, there are 47 pages worth of rules regarding equipment that athletes must comply with. Within these pages, collectively of the Specifications for Competition Equipment and Commercial Markings, certain equipment is forbidden (like collapsing poles) and a ski’s minimum weight is limited (to 750 grams per pair for cross-country). Four whole pages of that document are dedicated to the fabric and construction...
After crossing the finish line in first in the U.S. Nationals classic sprint A-final, Torin Koos (BSF/Rossignol) was disqualified for moving into a lane in front of Ryan Scott (MSU/Team HomeGrown) before completely clearing Scott’s skis, which resulted in contact between Koos’ tails and Scott’s tips. A course controller saw the pass, and after the conclusion of the race, reported a violation to the jury. Per International Ski Federation (FIS) rules, the competition jury deemed...
As athletes prepare to start this year’s Tour de Ski on Thursday, plans are taking shape for the next four editions of the race that would vary its length and location. According to FIS Cross-Country Race Director Jürg Capol, the Tour will almost certainly be making a stop in Switzerland next year, and for the three years afterwards. The event will alternate between venues in Münstertal—the small valley that claims Swiss superstar Dario Cologna as...
The North Americans on the World Cup circuit had plenty to look forward to as they flew to Davos, Switzerland. After three straight days of races in Kuusamo, Finland, the cross-country skiers would have a chance to kick back, train and enjoy the sun. What many didn’t think about was the snow. The Canadians first set eyes on the green landscape before the Americans, as they drove from the airport to Davos on Monday. As...
The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced Thursday that the first World Cup of the 2011-2012 season, originally scheduled for Beitostølen, Norway, will instead be held a 170 km drive to the east in Sjusjøen, Norway. The venue is situated just 20 km outside Lillehammer, and has never held a World Cup event before, according to Terje Lund, head of the organizing committee. The event schedule will remain the same: 10/15 k on Saturday, November 19 and a...
With current temperatures in Beitostølen, Norway hovering a few degrees above freezing, chances are the first World Cup of the season, scheduled to take place November 19 – 20, will be canceled or moved to a new venue. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has until Wednesday to make the call according to competition rules. “I would say the chances for Beitostølen are 10% and for Sjusjøen, [Norway] 40%,” said cross-country race director Jürg Capol via...
As soon as the news broke that Estonian Olympic gold medalist and world champion Andrus Veerpalu had tested positive for human growth hormone (HGH), the ski world knew that a fight lay ahead. For Veerpalu and the Estonians, a doping ban would be disastrous; as FasterSkier reported a 1999 study by a group of European and Australian researchers showed that exercise did spike HGH levels in the bloodstream by more then tenfold, the decline was dramatic...
If the decision-making process at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Spring Congress is exhausting, the annual International Ski Federation (FIS) meetings are even more challenging. While American skiers often lament the relative lack of visibility of our beloved sport within the US, the FIS Calendar Conference that convened in early June demonstrated that popularity comes at a price. Namely, the larger the number of significant stakeholders—countries, athletes, coaches, administrators and TDs, of course,...
Holding elite level events, whether World Cup races, National Championships or just FIS points competitions, pose numerous challenges for organizers and National Governing Bodies in the US and Canada. Over the course of the summer FasterSkier will examine the various issues at hand. Today we start with a piece on homologation, with future topics to include snowmaking and prize money, among others. Until this year, the U.S. and Canada have had reprieve from the International...
Ski fans who get nostalgic thinking back to the days of the two-day pursuit can take heart—you’re not the only ones. When cross-country skiers Kikkan Randall and Sami Jauhojaervi travel to the International Ski Federation’s (FIS’s) spring meetings, they could be advocating a revival of the format, based on feedback from their colleagues on the World Cup circuit. As the two athlete representatives to FIS from the discipline of cross-country, Randall and Jauhojaervi, who’s Finnish,...
Aiming to add more action and increase interest for the sport, the recent FIS Nordic Combined meeting in Zürich (SUI) discussed new race formats.
Sandra Hansson’s violation of fair play during the 2011 König Ludwiglauf in Germany last weekend shocked FIS's Vegard Ulvang, but not just because of Hansson’s behavior. The handling of the case outrages both Ulvang and others.
Russian cross-country skier Nikolay Pankratov has received a two-year ban from the International Ski Federation (FIS), FIS Anti-Doping Administrator Sarah Fussek said Tuesday morning. Pankratov, who was caught by Swiss customs in September with intravenous equipment and 22 vials of Actovegin—a suspicious, though legal drug—was barred from FIS competitions through September, 2012. Pankratov was sanctioned based on article 2.6 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, which addresses the possession of “prohibited substances” or “prohibited methods.” According to...
Initial administrative hurdles almost sidelined Torin Koos at the BUL-sprint at Gålå, Norway, Saturday, in which Koos earned second place after leading with 50 meters to go.
The Russian Ski Association (FLGR) has received high praise over the last two months for its work to combat performance-enhancing drug use. After being fined more than $180,000 this spring, the country escaped a second round of penalties at meetings of the International Ski Federation (FIS) in early November, thanks to its anti-doping efforts—which included changes in officials and coaches affiliated with scandals. “We know they are on the right track,” Gian Franco Kasper, the...
Only 51 days remain until the start of the 5th Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear. The preparations for the unique event are at full speed and by the preliminary entry deadline at the end of October, 22 nations have registered for this year’s edition. Besides many traditional Cross-Country nations such as all Nordic and Central European countries, Australia and Japan have also announced their participation in the Tour for the first...
FIS kicked off its winter race season in Munio, Finland and Rybinsk, Russia this weekend. In Muonio, the first race of the year was a classic sprint, contested Sunday morning in frigid temperatures, which drew a variety of athletes from around northern Europe. The Craftsbury Green Racing Project was the only American team in attendance, but they turned heads as Ida Sargent, racing in her U.S. Ski Team suit to avoid an NCAA violation, qualified...
From 22nd to 24th October, FIS organized a seminar for FIS Cross- Country Technical Delegates of OPA countries in Ramsau. More than sixty participants from eleven nations gathered to update their knowledge of competition rules and event organization. Participants from traditional OPA alpine countries were accompanied by representatives of Great Britain, Japan, Mongolia and Romania. Four candidates for Technical Delegate passed the exam successfully and many new participants were registered as candidates. On Saturday evening,...
As per the 2011 Comp guide, USSA will score certain FIS & Continental Cup events in Europe to the National Ranking List (NRL), as well as them being scored to the FIS points list. This is a dramatic increase in the number of weekends (from 2 to 10) that will be scored to support the national development strategies being called out by the U.S. Ski Team and club coaches nationwide. USSA European NRL events 2011...
Since sprinting was first introduced, at the 2001 World Championships in Finland, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has constantly fiddled with the format. The number of heats, the number of athletes in each one, and the total number who qualify for the rounds—all have been altered at one point or another. But one of the most contentious—and significant—changes has been the length of the sprint race. Changes Were Necessary, Officials Say According to FIS Cross-Country...