FIS SG Vion nearly suspended questionable Olympic qualification races, pleased overall with Games

It was an inauspicious start to the Olympic Alpine events at the Chinese National Alpine Ski Center as the opening men’s downhill was postponed because of wind that gusted up to 40 mph at the top of the course.

The postponement came one day after the third and final training run was also canceled due to winds that were deemed “too dangerous.” It was a somewhat controversial decision made by FIS race director Markus Waldner considering that only Matthias Mayer, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Christof Innerhofer were able to make three training runs, potentially gaining an advantage.

Fortunately, the showcase race went off as rescheduled the following day, Feb. 7, with Swiss Beat Feuz winning Olympic downhill gold. Racers were generally satisfied with a fair and safe race.

International Ski Federation secretary general Michel Vion said that despite the tough start to the Olympic race program, everything generally went smoother after that, despite persistent winds that became commonplace and caused numerous race delays.

“For a two-week period, it was not that problematic for sure,” Vion tells Ski Racing Media. “For all the Alpine competitions, men’s and women’s events, at the end it was quite a safe Olympics,” he said, while also citing “perfect” organization.

“Not too many issues at the end except the postponement of the men’s downhill and this first run of GS being on the limit.

“It was wind in China, but it could be heavy snow in St. Moritz or Cortina, or at our (world championship) event in Meribel next year. Fortunately, not too many issues at the end,” said Vion in our interview, which took place prior to the postponement of Saturday’s team event due to wind. That culminating event was successfully rescheduled for Sunday.

Earlier in the Games, the men’s giant slalom, which involved 89 athletes from 62 countries, was pulled off despite substantially more snowfall than expected and less than ideal course visibility.

“We had heavy snow, no wind, and … limited visibility,” Vion said. “When we launched the first run for the top (racers), it was not so … The second (run) was much, much more fair, with better visibility.”

The FIS official and former president of the French Ski Federation believes the correct decision was made to move forward with the race, despite the large field and less experienced racers from non-traditional ski racing nations on the start list.

“The advice from the head coaches from the different countries and athletes was positive and they all agree we should go,” Vion said, referring to information he received from a conversation with Waldner prior to the race. “Half-an-hour before the first run it was quite OK, then the snow came stronger, but we decided to launch the first run — and soon as you start the run, it’s not easy to stop.

“It was not good conditions at all, but it was not worth stopping and the second run was much better and no one complained too much,” he said. “Can you imagine if we stopped after the top 15 or postponed one day, the complaints would have been terrible.”

Track, snow surface in Yanqing ‘equal’ for all

Vion also discussed the snow-surface conditions at the Chinese National Alpine Ski Center, noting it was very unique, but most athletes were able to adapt and it was ultimately an equal playing field for all.

“Everyone was OK, no one complained about that, but it was some very specific snow,” Vion said. “There was tremendous work considering the amount of snow, very compact snow and even sometimes icy because of the wind, but no one was complaining. It was equal snow conditions, packed snow and icy snow.”

“It was perfect, hard conditions and some athletes had to adapt to the cold and dry snow, you have to fly on the snow and not too put too much pressure on the edges.

“For example, Pinturault was not able to ski, he was not light enough on the snow.”

FIS investigation of allegedly manipulated qualification races

Vion also addressed the FIS investigation involving Jamaican skier Benjamin Alexander and the Jamaican Ski Federation, specifically allegations that results from national championship qualifying races staged in Montenegro and Liechtenstein were manipulated.

“Before we came here it was not an easy decision and I was directly involved, it was my work, my task to be in relations with the IOC and to see clearly that those races were under investigation,” Vion revealed to Ski Racing Media.

“We were close to suspend, not to cancel, some of those results and FIS points and to give the chance to athletes to be eligible for the IOC system and we were close to doing that. … In the end, perhaps it was too late, perhaps the IOC didn’t want to make trouble, and in the end I got four extra quotas for athletes on the men’s side.

“We will continue to investigate for sure and see what can be done, but those guys were here and raced and that chapter is closed at this time. It was the only way to solve the problem two days before the Games.”

Alexander completed his two giant slalom runs under the snowy conditions, finishing 46th, last among racers that finished both runs. The dual Jamaican and British citizen finished nearly one-minute and ten-seconds behind gold medalist Marco Odermatt.

“I think we should change our system of qualification, but that’s another story,” Vion said.

FIS World Cup will return to China

Vion plans and expects to continue utilizing the new Chinese winter sports venues for future skiing and snowboard World Cups and other international competitions.

“It is the intention of the FIS to use these facilities for sure. The ski jumping hill has to be used. Genting Park also for the freestyle, and the Alpine facilities also. … We don’t want to wait too long to give China once again top World Cup competitions. It’s very clear,” Vion stated. “That was already our wish before the Games and even more now.

“We have to use these Olympic Games as a tool to help them improve and it’s not so easy because the calendar is not so flexible, but to do this we have to give them some races next season already – that is clear.”

Follow Brian on Twitter – @Brian_Pinelli

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