Revolution in the World Cup? FIS wants to transform skiing

Not a year is without a major event - what sounds like the discussions in the world of football could soon become a reality in alpine skiing too. The international ski association is in close contact with its representatives, athletes and event organizers and is trying to give skiing a fresher face.

So far there have been two big events in the ski circuit that fans and athletes have been looking forward to: the Olympic Games and the World Championships. Since the World Cup only takes place every two years and the fight for Olympic medals only takes place every four years, there are of course seasons in which there are no major events in skiing. But the FIS wants to change that.

Secretary General Michel Vion speaks of a “mini-Olympics”. In the future, an additional World Ski Championships will be held, which will take place in those years in which “only” the World Cup is on the program. This intervention in skiing could take place as early as 2024. But there are even more piquant suggestions. World Cup should become a league FIS marketing director Jürg Capol wants to refresh the face of alpine skiing. Therefore, there is currently discussion about different ski leagues, which are made up depending on the performance of the athletes. This would mean that the starting field could be divided into two groups. If an athlete from Group A deteriorates over the course of the season, there is a risk of relegation to Group B. Conversely, you can fight your way back into the group of the best through strong results. Will Dominik Paris and Co. soon have to assert themselves in a league system? © APA/afp / JOE KLAMAR

At the same time, this would also mean that the races would be significantly shortened. This should be a welcome change, especially for TV broadcasters. Especially in classics like the downhill run in Kitzbühel, late starting numbers always caused surprises. While the broadcasters save transmission time, the sport also loses part of its charm. Is the Super G saying goodbye? But that's not enough. In addition, in the future the focus will only be on three disciplines: slalom, giant slalom and downhill. At the same time, this means that the ski circuit will soon have to say goodbye to Super G. The Alpine combination had already secretly left the back door last year. This year too - with the exception of the Olympics - not a single combined run .

It remains to be seen whether all the changes can actually be implemented in the end. The fact is: the new FIS President Johan Eliasch wants to lead his sport into an innovative and exciting future.

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Revolution in the World Cup? FIS wants to transform skiing

The International Ski Federation (FIS) is currently discussing the future of alpine skiing with officials and athletes. In addition to a league system with promotion and relegation, the “Mini-Olympics” project is also being discussed. The disciplines should also be revised.

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