Forum Nordicum: About the future of Nordic skiing

By Luis Mahlknecht from Szklarska Poreba

The leadership of the international ski association FIS also insisted on being on site in Poland, with President Gianfranco Kaspar and Secretary General Sarah Lewis; Other top officials from the world association were also present. Kaspar gave a well-received speech and looked worriedly at some developments that do not correspond to the wishes of skiing enthusiasts, especially with regard to the “Olympics”. For example, jumping on the large hill or 50 km cross-country skiing should disappear, and the speed disciplines in the Alpine area are also in danger. The Swiss also expressed concerns that the Olympic Games are currently being awarded almost exclusively to Asia (South Korea in 2018, Japan in 2020, China in 2022). “The gigantism of Sochi has somehow paralyzed other organizers, but I think that it is certainly possible to organize the games in a simpler form,” said Kaspar, who would like to encourage Europeans to get involved in the big sporting event (“with head and with Heart made”).

In addition to solid information about future start regulations for individual cross-country skiing and an overview of the TV ratings for the individual disciplines (in the FIS area, ski jumping is in first place, ahead of alpine skiing), there was an opportunity to ask questions, which the many press representatives also asked exploited extensively.

Unfortunately, that wasn't possible when it came to biathlon. The IBU (International Biathlon Union) had made it known that they wanted to withdraw from the Forum Nordicum, especially since they were pursuing a different strategy in communications matters. All participants in the forum in Poland saw this as an affront and also as a low appreciation of media work, to which the sport of biathlon (and with it the IBU) actually owes its great popularity.

In Szklarska Poreba, individual organizers presented themselves (including the World Cup host Oslo, who sensationally promised quite “reasonable” prices), but the questions raised by press representatives to the IBU (there are quite a few of them in relation to media work) remained unanswered. This was a bitter disappointment in an otherwise interesting and very well organized conference.

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Forum Nordicum: About the future of Nordic skiing

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