New downhill start order may debut next season

As key FIS officials and ski racing representatives head to the biennial FIS Congress in Cancun, Mexico, on June 5-11, several important decision impacting the future of the sport will be made in the heat of the Mexican sun.

One of the most anticipated topics is finalizing the World Cup calendar. The 2016-17 calendar, which is highlighted by the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, still has some question marks on it. Events like the women’s World Cup at Squaw Valley and the changes to the Hahnenkamm schedule have yet to be confirmed by the FIS.

The long-term calendar, which looks four years into the future, is traditionally a critical discussion between the FIS and its partners to lay out a plan for subsequent seasons. The venue announcement for the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will also take place, and Cortina d’Ampezzo is the sole candidate.

Beyond the event schedule, there are several proposed changes directly related to the sport for committees to consider. Austria has submitted a proposal for a new downhill starting order to further spread out the best skiers in the hopes of retaining television viewers beyond the top seed. In the proposal, the top 10 downhill skiers according to the World Cup Start List (WCSL) would be able to choose from bibs 1-20 with the selection in order of the final training run result. This could also apply to super-G races with selection order based off the WCSL.

“It is also becoming increasingly important to stay on the cutting edge of broadcast technology and attract a wider audience through both traditional broadcast media and emerging digital technology,” FIS President Gian Franco Kasper recently said in a discussion about Congress. “From a sport standpoint, the field of injury prevention and the FIS Injury Surveillance System plays an important role in providing research and analytical information enabling the FIS technical experts to review various aspects including rules, equipment and course preparation. Athlete safety is a top priority for FIS.”

Other proposals concern promotion or organization of the events, such as Switzerland’s proposal to better protect World Cup organizers.

FIS officials and stakeholders will use the six days to discuss these topics at length before making final decisions. FIS will be tweeting from @fisalpine as decisions are made, and SkiRacing.com will follow up on key changes moving forward.

Portions of a release courtesy of the FIS were utilized in this article