Where to Ski And Snowboard - FIS may drop super combined skiing

FIS may drop super combined skiing

2nd June 2017, by Abi Butcher

FIS may drop the super combined from the World Cup Alpine skiing schedule

The International Ski Federation (FIS) is considering dropping the super combined from the World Cup Alpine skiing schedule.

Following its spring meeting in Portoroz Slovenia during the last week of May, the FIS discussed the removal of the super combined by the 2012-21 season — or earlier — if they are voted in this October. Instead, FIS plans to introduce more parallel slalom team racing, an event that is debuting at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018.

The super combined was the first Olympic Alpine skiing event (in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936) consists of one slalom and then one downhill or super-G run, the aim of whichi s to prove which skier has the best balance of technical ability and speed. It is not clear at this stage whether dropping the super combined from the World Cup circuit would mean its removal from the Olympics.

While no formal statement has been made on the subject, the FIS said in a newsflash on Wednesday, 31 May: “The Alpine Skiing discipline is going through an ‘evolution, but not a revolution’, adjusting several rules and regulations to make the sport more attractive and increase its impact.”

During the Portoroz meeting, a few adjustments were made for course setting, basic quota, online entries and team and service personnel accommodation rules for Alpine skiing at World Cup level.

The most important change includes the starting order for downhill training runs. Following the successful introduction of the new starting order for the speed events last season, an adjustment to the regulation for downhill training was made, whereby the best ten competitors present will be drawn with the odd numbers between 1 and 19.