Where to Ski And Snowboard - FIS rules Vonn can’t ski against men

FIS rules Vonn can’t ski against men

7th November 2012, by Abi Butcher

Lindsey Vonn has remained silent since the FIS decision last weekend

World number one women’s ski racer Lindsey Vonn has been denied the chance to race against men in Canada later this month.

In early October, Lindsey put forward a request to the International Ski Federation (FIS) to be able to race in one men’s World Cup downhill at Lake Louise at the end of November.

After making its decision during a council meeting in Oberhofen, Switzerland, at the weekend, the FIS said in a statement that it respected Lindsey Vonn’s proposal but confirmed that: “One gender is not entitled to participate in races of the other and exceptions will not be made to the FIS Rules.”

FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis later stressed in an interview that the decision was not personal:

“This decision had nothing to do with an individual,” she said. “It’s not specific to Lindsey and it’s not underlying her skills.”

The men’s World Cup downhill starts on 21 November in Lake Louise, the women’s on 28 November.

Britain’s Chemmy Alcott will return to competition on 28 November, two years after the crash at the same ski resort that left her with a severely broken right leg.

Chemmy, now 30, has a metal plate and nine screws in her leg after what she describes as a “freak accident” at Lake Louise.

She said she is a more rounded athlete after the accident.

“At the end of the day I love to ski,” she said, adding: “I am not doing it for money, I am doing it because I love it. I have only got one chance to make a comeback.”