Ospelt on ORF discusses the case surrounding annual World Championships: “We want to open up to more markets, but we will include everyone in the debate”

Alexander Ospelt unveiled, together with the members of his Council within the International Ski Federation, a project that received its first approval last week at the end of the meetings in Thun.

We are talking about World Championships in every FIS discipline, to be held annually rather than every two years, except, naturally, during Olympic winters; whether this will begin as early as 2028 or with the first World Championships held in an even-numbered year in 2032, we will find out in the coming months. Talks are ongoing, criticism has already arrived, and the Austrian Ski Federation’s was particularly harsh; interviewed by ORF Sport, the new president of the world governing body for snow sports (who in June in Belgrade defeated outgoing president Johan Eliasch by just one vote) was diplomatic, opening up the possibility of discussing the plan for the “new” World Championships with all the parties involved.

“This is an issue that has actually been discussed for some time, and we would do it in the athletes’ interests because it is clear that a world title means a great deal to them financially as well,” explained the lawyer from Liechtenstein. “At the same time, for FIS this is about opening up to more markets and involving smaller countries, which would have greater ambitions. Asia, from South Korea to Japan and China (thinking above all of freestyle disciplines, ed.), for example, could offer the opportunity to enter a broader system, which would represent an advantage for everyone.”

The OESV spoke of a failure to consult the national federations before the statement issued six days ago, but Ospelt clarified the situation. “Tomorrow (this Wednesday, since the interview with ORF was broadcast last night, ed.) I will meet with the Austrian federation; we do not want to make mistakes in the decision-making process and we want to include everyone in the debate.

The congested calendar? The objective is to have a long-term World Cup schedule, while also properly managing the integration of one additional World Championships every four years.”