Two weeks before the 50th edition of the FIS Congress in Cancun (MEX), FIS Newsflash took the chance to sit down with FIS President Gian Franco Kasper.
It has been two years since the last FIS Congress in Barcelona (SPA). Looking back since then, what were some highlights?
Our FIS World Championships in 2015 exceeded all expectations and were acclaimed far and wide for their coverage and the promotion of the FIS disciplines. The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek (USA) made a major breakthrough in the US media. Sweden’s Falun successfully hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and was enjoyed by more than 280,000 spectators on site. Kreischberg (AUT) made history as the first ever Organiser of joint FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships with a packed programme of 24 competitions. The FIS Ski Flying World Championships took place in January 2016 on the natural hill in Kulm/Bad Mitterndorf (AUT) in perfect conditions. Olympic activity this year took place in the iconic location of Lillehammer (NOR) for the 2nd edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games which was also a success.
The IOC plays a big role in the daily activities of FIS. What are the key changes in the last two years within the IOC and what can we look ahead to?
Over the past two years the IOC has undertaken an important process to evolve and adapt the organisation through the Olympic Agenda 2020. Reforms are focused on three main pillars: credibility, sustainability and youth and their implementation in the IOC and wider Olympic Movement structures is well underway. My position as an IOC Member has also been extended as a result of the active role I have as President of the Association of Olympic Winter Sport Federations (AIOWF) and membership in various IOC Commissions.
The programme of the Olympic Winter Games will be enriched in 2018 with the inclusion of a favourite on the FIS programme, the Alpine team event, as well as Snowboard big air.
What will be some of the hot topics and themes in Cancun?
The distribution of funds among the National Ski Associations is an important theme. The strong support of the National Ski Associations is critical to the success of FIS and it is important to find a fair distribution system which will be presented.
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.
On the marketing side, the Alpine and Nordic disciplines enjoy long-term commitments from loyal sponsors such as Audi, Longines and Viessmann. But it is time to get major sponsors for all of our World Cup series and disciplines. This will be a high priority for FIS in the lead-up to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea.
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, as well as communicate proactively through social media.
Looking beyond Cancun, what will be the priorities?
Looking to the future and the upcoming two-year period for FIS, we can anticipate FIS World Championships in flagship locations in 2017 and 2018 as well as innovative Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang for the first time in Korea. But it will be two years during which FIS will face challenges, particularly with the finances as a result of the changes to the recent currency exchange rates that affect the FIS budget, the continued turbulence in the world economy and building up the trust of the public again in sport in general and its organisation.
Sport is always evolving and we are preparing to lead and manage the developments. I look forward to the changes and the excitement that the next two years, and beyond will bring to our sport.
Source: fis-ski.com
