Alexander Ospelt, the new president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), has defended plans to hold world championships in every non-Olympic year. The 58-year-old from Liechtenstein did so in an interview with ORF. On Wednesday evening, 9 September, he meets the leadership of the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) in Innsbruck.
What is on the table
At its meeting in Thun, the FIS Council agreed in principle to pursue a model with world championships in every non-Olympic year. The change would begin in 2032, possibly as early as 2028. The reform has not been finally approved.
At the moment, Alpine and Nordic world championships are held only in odd-numbered years, and the Olympic Winter Games take place in one of the two even-numbered years. This leaves every fourth ski winter without a clear highlight.
Ospelt's case
Speaking to ORF, Ospelt said a world title means a great deal to athletes, including financially, that the discussions had been going on for a long time and that the FIS would make the change for the athletes' benefit. He added that it is also about smaller countries, which would have more new goals with a world championships.
Ospelt named as the aim a consistent, long-term World Cup calendar with world championships fixed in early February. He said it would be much more reliable to have the same system every year, with world championships fixed every February followed by the World Cup finals. He called this fitting and coherent, and said there are currently more arguments for the plan than against it.
Ospelt named China, Japan and South Korea as new markets. In his words, staging a world championships there and giving those countries the chance to become part of a bigger system benefits everyone. According to Ospelt, smaller skiing nations that compete at a world championships but not on the World Cup would also benefit. In his assessment, organisers could benefit from the reform too. He said the plan brings the whole skiing family closer together and that he sees many advantages in it.
According to ORF, Ospelt did not question that extra world championships would also benefit the FIS financially. He had already presented the idea of annual championships during his campaign for the presidency. He said a workshop drew no negative feedback from athletes or their representatives. He also said he absolutely welcomes the heated debate, that he wants to do nothing wrong and that he wants to involve everyone in the new discussion.
Alpine SkiingFIS turmoil deepens as Trinkl turns down Waldner's race director jobReactions from the ÖSV and Swiss-Ski
The ÖSV criticised how the plans were communicated and called such a model not sensible from a sporting or strategic point of view. In a statement, the federation said a world championships must remain something special. It warned that holding one almost every year carries a great risk of inflation and thus of a gradual devaluation of the sporting status of a world championships and of a world title. The ÖSV also fears that individual World Cup seasons and World Cup events would lose importance. Critics were reminded of the controversial World Cup expansion plans of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
According to Blick, Swiss-Ski considers the idea absolutely worth examining and is open to it in principle. Co-CEO Diego Züger said it would mean one more world championships in four years, which could add value if it is set up properly.
Meeting in Innsbruck
According to watson.ch, Ospelt wants to bring the Austrians on board as one of the most important federations. On Wednesday evening, 9 September, he meets the ÖSV leadership in Innsbruck to discuss the plan, which has not been approved.
