The FIS introduced an airbag requirement for speed races for the new season. The FIS has now received 40 applications for an exemption. It does not want to approve them without further ado.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The first speed races of the season take place in North America at the beginning of December. They will also be the first under the newly created FIS airbag obligation.
- Apparently, the FIS has now received 40 applications for exemptions. However, the federation does not want to approve these without further ado and is demanding more detailed justifications from the applicants.
- In addition to restricting freedom of movement, one problem why athletes oppose the airbag is the fit. According to Austria's head coach Roland Assinger, only sizes S, M and L are available.
The FIS is always in the spotlight with its measures. A few weeks ago, the federation introduced a wild card for former top athletes. The decision was hotly debated, and now the debate about mandatory airbags is reigniting.
This has been reignited by the FIS itself. Last year, the FIS decided to make airbags compulsory in all speed races from the 24/25 season. However, it suddenly emerged that there may be exceptions: national ski federations can approve exceptions if an airbag does not fit an athlete and disproportionately restricts their mobility, according to the FIS.
And some top athletes want to benefit from this exemption. According toBlick, the FIS has received 40 applications for an exemption - 16 from the Austrian speed team alone.
Apparently, however, the FIS will not accept the applications without justification. It is now demanding more detailed information from the federations as to why the athletes want to do without an airbag.
Gisin: "I am against a mandatory requirement"
It is not known exactly which athletes are involved. Prominent non-airbag wearers include Dominik Paris, Vincent Kriechmayr and Lara Gut-Behrami. Paris, for example, says he feels "too restricted" in his movements.
Michelle Gisin will be skiing down the piste with the protection for the first time. She tells Blick: "I was never against the airbag, but I'm still against making it compulsory. Because we are not yet so far advanced that we are better protected in the event of a fall."
Airbags not tailored for skiing?
Another problem, according to the article, is the available sizes of airbags. According to Austria's head coach Roland Assinger, many athletes would not even fit such a suit because it comes from motorcycling. The body shape of professional skiers is different to that of motorcycle racers. What's more, there are only sizes S, M and L. "The airbag just doesn't fit some people," says Assinger.
It can therefore be assumed that some athletes will be at the start of the speed season in North America without the airbag. The men's program includes a super-G and a downhill on the weekend of 6 to 8 December. The women will be at the start one week later.
