The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) technical autumn meetings for 2023 have concluded with the Cross-Country Committee’s meeting held in Zürich, Switzerland. Check out the key highlights.

The FIS meetings are dedicated to discussing and deciding on proposals from National Ski Associations (NSAs) and working groups from the Sub-Committees. While it’s important to note that all proposals are still subject to the approval of the FIS Council, here are the key highlights from the Cross-Country Committee’s deliberations, according to a FIS press release:

Calendar for 2023/24 Season

The upcoming 2023/24 season promises excitement as it features no title events, allowing for unique highlights. The much-anticipated Tour de Ski and visiting North America’s venues stand out. While there were no significant adjustments to the previously published calendar, some format adaptations were discussed.

Ruka: The season opener in Ruka will feature a Mass start race for the first time. The World Cup Sub-Committee unanimously approved a 2.5km course track, prioritizing safety and profile.

Toblach: The opening stage of the Tour de Ski plans to elevate the Pursuit course to showcase the stunning views of the Drei Zinnen mountain range at Lago di Landro. This scenic long course section is subject to ongoing adjustments to ensure it can be used.

Davos: Davos Nordic, celebrating its 50th edition, follows the “Tour de Climbs” approach, including a two-valley course along Dischma and Flüela Valley. A Plan-B version with a 15km Interval C is ready if the originally scheduled 20km Pursuit C cannot occur due to insufficient natural snowfall.

Long-Term Calendars

The FIS Race Director and a working group established the calendar by nation and venue for the 2024/25 season, to be approved and published in Spring 2024. The calendar for the Olympic season in 2026 was also outlined, allowing National Ski Federations to apply for dates and regions by period.

YOG and JWSC & U23 WSC Dates

For the junior levels, this year’s title events are set to take place in Gangwon, South Korea, with the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) scheduled from January 27 to February 1, 2024. Following that, the Junior World Championship and U23 World Championship will be held in Planica, Slovenia, from February 5 to 11, 2024.

World Cup Rules 2023/24

Some major rule adaptations were approved, including those related to the Fluor ban. These changes have resulted in adjustments to the wording of existing rules, with the final ICR document to be published once approved by the FIS Council. Additionally, the order of starting athletes in the Mixed Relay has been adjusted to M/W/M/W for this season in Goms.

World Cup Prize Money

The FIS Council has approved continuous prize money support for the 2023/24 season. This has led to a new split of the daily prize money pot and the Overall World Cup prize money. Notably, in Team events, prize money will now be awarded to the top 10 teams, a change from the previous top 6. The Committee has presented and approved the prize money split, which can be found in the World Cup Rules under art. 3.5.3. The prize money distribution for the Tour de Ski remains unchanged.

Sub-Committee for Rollerskiing

Martins Niklass, FIS Rollerski Coordinator, provided an update on this season’s World Cup. The upcoming season’s calendar includes three World Cup stops, each featuring four competitions, starting on July 17, 2024, in Madonna, Latvia.

Information on Fluor Ban 2023

The implementation of the fluor ban was a focal point in each Sub-Committee. FIS Cross-Country will provide comprehensive updates on official channels as soon as all stakeholders are ready for the season. FIS has established a fluor information platform where guidelines and reference documents are available, applicable to all FIS disciplines.

These discussions and decisions made during the FIS Cross-Country Committee autumn meetings set the stage for an exciting 2023/24 season in cross-country skiing. Stay tuned for further updates and official announcements as the season approaches.

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