The FIS Calendar Conference in Varna concluded with a small number of modifications to the Summer Grand Prix and World Cup calendars and also to the existing rule set in Nordic Combined. Many of the decisions will see their first practical use or a test phase during the Summer Grand Prix.

Committee decisions

In its session on Friday, the Nordic Combined Committee’s most momentous decision was to adjust the metre value for ski jumping competitions on the large hill from 1.5 to 1.8 points. The main idea behind this rule change was to balance the discipline of Nordic Combined better between ski jumping and cross-country skiing and put some emphasis on the jumping part. The new point system will now be tested on the large hills during the Summer Grand Prix and the Committee will make a final decision in its meeting in the fall.

Other notable decisions include a start right for the World Cup for the best 55 athletes of the World Ranking List and a maximum of six athletes per nation as well as to make the one jump, 5 km Individual Gundersen format available for use in the World Cup and Continental Cup as an additional event. It is not meant to be scheduled instead of the regular one jump, 10 km Individual Gundersen but rather as an additional option for 3-competition-weekends.

Basic rule set for Ladies Nordic Combined and the FIS Youth Cup

Another big point on the agenda of all meetings was the development of Ladies Nordic Combined and the FIS Youth Cup for boys and girls. A basic set of rules for the planned international Youth Cup competitions was discussed and will be in use during the summer with the final confirmation at the Committee meeting in the fall.

In terms of the Youth Cup calendar, the international events in Oberstdorf in conjunction with the Summer Grand Prix 2015 and in Trondheim in conjunction with the World Cup 2015/16 were confirmed and other organisers are in productive talks with the Race Director to host more events in the new Youth series next winter.

Minor changes in the calendars

Minor updates were made in terms of the Summer Grand Prix, World Cup and Continental Cup calendars for the upcoming season. The Summer Grand Prix finals in Sochi were confirmed and will join the competitions in middle-Europe on the calendar this summer, putting the Olympic facilities to good use after the Games of 2014.

Summer Grand Prix Calendar 2015/16

In the World Cup, the competition weekend in Klingenthal right after the new year was now also confirmed, bringing up the total number of events to 23.

World Cup Calendar 2015/16

The Continental Cup athletes can look forward to a full calendar with 22 competitions, including 4 events in the USA (Utah Olympic Park/Soldier Hollow and a return to Lake Placid) as well as the first test of the Olympic venues in PyeongChang. Chaux-Neuve in France also joins the Continental Cup calendar for the first time.

Continental Cup Calendar 2015/16

FIS Committee Members

The members of the Athletes Commission 2015 - 2017 were confirmed following the elections held during the last winter. Representing the Nordic Combined athletes and following former representative Alessandro Pittin is Maxime Laheurte (FRA).

Source: fis-ski.com