However, it was not FIS who made the decision to cancel the race. “As per 19.2.1 of the World Cup rules, the responsibility for cancellation falls to the organizer,” commented Gerdol. “Our role is to guide them to the right decision.”
Postponing the race by a day or two, to allow for more snow, is not really an option due to the demands of television. “This happens in the Europa Cup but there are so many other things involved here,” says Gerdol. “The TV broadcasters he planned well in advance and we’d need to ask the host broadcaster and rights holder to check with those taking the event live. They would then he to accept adapting to the race being held on a different day.”
Teams would also be affected by postponements with flights and hotels hing to be rebooked. On the other hand, an early cancellation may also help teams and organizers when it comes to claiming refunds for trel, accommodation, and race-related arrangements.
Potential format changes allow greater flexibility in Cross-CountryThe nature of Alpine Skiing means a negative snow control almost always results in cancellation. And while no snow means no race in all cases, there is slightly more that can be done to allow an event to be staged in other disciplines.
In Cross-Country Skiing, the race organizing committee begins passing on snow conditions and preparations on a regular basis three weeks before the event.
The snow control takes the form of a report produced by an expert nominated by FIS who is either connected with the organizers or from the host national ski federation. In usual good conditions, this can be done remotely. In more challenging scenarios, the snow controller will go on site - sometimes with a local technical delegate - to look at what can be done.
FIS Cross-Country Race Director Michal Lamplot says, “At the latest 15 days before the event, we expect a detailed report about the amount of snow, snow quality, weather forecasts etc. We can then assess whether everything is running smoothly for the World Cup or if there are any potential obstacles or risks. “We usually stay in touch with the organizer so that we know what the situation is like, but it’s always good to get something official on paper. And if the snow control is positive, then it’s a green light for the event.
“If we don’t he a positive snow control, we start a process led by the Event Preparation group comprising myself, someone from the host national ski federation, and someone from the organizing committee.
“We assess if there are any changes which potentially he to be made with the courses or the program. If the situation is really bad, we can look at changing the format or shortening the courses. We don’t often cancel races because we’re not as vulnerable to wind or snowfall or poor visibility.”
The flexibility that Cross-Country enjoys was demonstrated ahead of the Les Rousses World Cup stop in late January 2023. “There was absolutely no snow on the day of the snow report,” Lamplot reveals. “But we knew that the weather forecast was looking promising for snow production, and so we in the Event Preparation group said, ‘OK, we can postpone the final decision by a few days.’