The FIS wants to increase safety in ski racing and has introduced mandatory airbags. But apparently there can be exceptions. Bernhard Russi finds this completely incomprehensible.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The FIS World Ski Federation has decided that wearing an airbag will be compulsory for speed skiers.
- The issue has been causing disagreement for months. Now it seems clear that there may be exceptions and that airbags will not be completely mandatory after all.
- Ski legend Bernhard Russi finds this incomprehensible: "It seems that not even the FIS itself is convinced that the airbag will ensure greater safety."
In order to increase safety and reduce the risk of serious injuries, the FIS has introduced mandatory airbags for the new season. This means that wearing airbags is now compulsory in the downhill and super-G - actually.
However, it is now clear that there may be exceptions. National ski federations can approve exceptions in the event that an airbag does not fit an athlete and disproportionately restricts mobility, according to the FIS.
While some top skiers such as Marco Odermatt have been using airbags for years, other ski cracks still have reservations. In the Swiss team, Lara Gut-Behrami and Michelle Gisin are among those who oppose the airbag requirement. Swiss-Ski is also not entirely convinced by the safety measures.
There are likely to be exceptions in the Swiss team as far as the airbag obligation is concerned. Swiss-Ski-Alpin Director Hans Flatscher has already announced that he will leave it up to his skiers to decide whether they want to ski with or without airbags.
Bernhard Russi: "The FIS can't please everyone"
Bernhard Russi can only shake his head at the exemption. "Unfortunately, the FIS board has managed to ruin what was actually a very good idea," writes the 1970 and 1972 downhill world champion in his "Blick" column. He is 100 percent convinced that mandatory airbags are the right thing to do. "It's dangerous to ski down a mountain at high speeds and practically unprotected."
The fact that athletes are now allowed to apply for exemptions is "strange", says Russi. When it comes to safety, there should be no ifs and buts. "It seems to me that those responsible in the committees and on the board want to please everyone. But that's not possible."
It is clear to him that the FIS will not enforce the new rule consistently. He would have liked a clear statement from the world federation. "Now it seems that not even the FIS itself is convinced that the airbag will ensure greater safety," says Russi.
The question of whether everyone who wants to can now do without the airbag seems to remain open. The FIS apparently wants to assess each case individually and only approve an exception if there is a clear reason why the use of an airbag cannot provide additional safety for the athlete in question.
