FIS rues Olympic team snub

At the International Olympic Committee executive board meeting in Acapulco last month a total of seven events were took a step closer to Olympic inclusion – four of which fall under the FIS’s jurisdiction.

The IOC confirmed they were looking favourably upon the inclusion of ladies’ ski jumping, freestyle skiing events half-pipe and slopestyle as well as snowboard slopestyle – even if president Jacques Rogge stated he would make a final decision after the next World Championships of event.

The Alpine skiing team event proposal was dismissed however, after analysis into factors such as universality, gender equality, youth appeal, cost and the impact on the overall quota and number of events.

And the FIS has implored the IOC to reassess their position at the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

An FIS Council statement read: “The Council acknowledged that FIS is pleased that four event requests are seen favourably by the IOC Executive Board but at the same time very disappointed that out of all proposed new events on the Olympic Winter Games program across all sports, the only one excluded from the positive list is the Alpine Team Event.

This view has already been expressed officially to the IOC with the request to view also the Alpine Team Event at the upcoming FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.”

The other three events that moved a step closer to Olympic inclusion were a biathlon mixed team relay, a figure skating tram event and a luge team relay.