Q&A with Gian-Franco Kasper: Skiing World Champs; New Olympic Events

(ATR) Skiers aren’t the only ones with a lot on the line at this month’s FIS competitions.

It’s after this winter sports season that IOC president Jacques Rogge will decide which events to add to the Olympic program ahead of Sochi 2014.

FIS has five events in the running, all of which are on display at this year's world championships.

Snowboard slopestyle had its chance to shine late last month in La Molina, Spain.

Ski slopestyle and halfpipe runs are underway at the freestyle world champs this week in Deer Valley, Utah.

A team event must prove its worth at theFeb. 8-20 alpine world champs in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Munich 2018’s proposed ski site.

Women's ski jumping will again look for acceptance at the Feb. 22-March 6 Nordic world champs in Osloafter getting turned down twice in its efforts to be on the Vancouver program.

It's up to FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper to ensure each event lives up to its potential and each world championship runs smoothly.

As a member of the IOC's Coordination Commission for Sochi 2014, he must also monitor Games preparations in the Russian host city, including its first test events this month.

Around the Ringscaught up with Kasper on the eve of what's sure to be a busy month for the friendly federation chief.

ATR: How are preparations coming for all of this winter's world championships?

GFK: As you know, Deer Valley has a lot of experience with ski and also with snowboard. They had the snowboard competition during the 2002 Games, and they have good experience. They will also for the first time include the slopestyle event. This is relatively important that they come over in a good way because it’s one of the events that should be included in the Sochi Games by the IOC.

Then Garmisch, of course, for the big world championships: alpine skiing. Things look very good. Preparations done by Garmisch have been excellent in the five years we have had our experts there almost once a month, and we are very very optimistic.

We don’t have the same problem as Munich has with their Olympic application. Although we are on the same courses and so on in Garmisch, in the case of the skiing world championships, all the farmers fully agree with the use of their lands.

And then in regard to Oslo, you know, Oslo is the cradle of Nordic skiing. They have renewed the city symbol, which is the Holmenkollen hill, 100 percent. They took the old hill down and just finished now the new hill. It’s a huge affair, if you want. This hill overlooks the city of Oslo.

We know that already now they’re more or less sold out. We know that every seat will be taken, whether it be for cross-country, jumping or Nordic combined, so things look very well. We don’t have to teach the Norwegians how to organize Nordic events.

ATR: What concerns do you have heading into what will be a busy few weeks of skiing?

GFK: No real concerns. The question is usually about the weather conditions and the snow conditions but nowadays, of course, with artificial snow the concerns are much less. But think back on, for instance, the Vancouver Olympics and the problems we had with weather conditions almost causing cancellations of the main events, particularly the downhill. So such things can, of course, always happen.

We have 14 days in each championship, and we have the downhill as well as the ski jumping on the big hill at the very beginning, so this gives us enough space to replace those competitions if necessary.

But, of course, another thing is our normal business goes on. We have this winter 6,500 international competitions that we control, and all those competitions, of course, go on also during the world championships.

ATR: Skiing has four events up for addition to Sochi this winter...

GFK: Five. We have five that were considered in the first meeting of the IOC. [The fifth] was the team event in alpine.

We insisted with Jacques Rogge that [the alpine team event] be considered too because of those five events we have requested, it’s the most important one television-wise and interest-wise.

But I think the chances forall the five new events look quite good. The IOC seems to have changed its opinion that we shouldn’t have any new events and now all of the sudden – probably on the request of television – we have the willingness to include new events, and television will be more than happy to fill up the gaps.

ATR: So are you saying that the alpine team event is still under consideration for Sochi?

GFK: The alpine team event is also under consideration.

ATR: OK, I was under the impression that the Executive Board had ruled that out?

No.

In principle, yeah, but they said "Well, not at the moment. [We’re] not well-informed," so we informed them and Jacques Rogge, and he said he would consider it too in the spring along with all the other events.

ATR: What must the events show this month in order to win Jacques Rogge’s approval and be added to the Olympic program?

GFK: That’s a good question, you know. That’s his own opinion. But in principle, it must be shown that those are events that have sufficient high-level participation worldwide - of course, that’s number one – but also that they are spectacular for the public. I think those are the most important things.

If you look at ladies’ ski jumping, the reason why it was rejected by the IOCfor Vancouver was that the number of nations and athletes involved was not sufficient on one hand. On the other hand, there were only very very few ladies in ski jumping who were on a high level or on a sufficient level for Olympics. I think it can be relatively easily proven to the IOC that those things have changed. That goes, of course, also for the other events.

ATR: What about preparations for Sochi 2014? How are they coming?

GFK: It’s difficult to say if you listen to Sochi. I was not there now for two months, but my impression, of course, was a huge huge construction area. You have thousands and thousands – I think about 30,000 workers – you have the feeling they’re more than busy, but how can you as an amateur decide if they are really on schedule or not? But I have not the slightest doubt that for the Games in Sochi, everything will be ready.

We will have our first test event in mid-February. It’s an alpine event – a European Cup for men (Feb. 15-18) and women (Feb. 22-26) – and that will show us to a certain extent how well prepared the Russians are in regard to the carrying out of a competition. The courses are ready for alpine skiing, there is no doubt. We have homologated them. It’s a question now how the organization works, and of course they will make probably several mistakes, but that’s why we have test events.

ATR: Will you be at the test events?

GFK: No, I go to our own world championships.

They are overlapping with that, but we have our European cup experts there, and we will get all the news from them.

ATR: In terms of the 2018 race, what is your federation looking for in the bids from Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang?

GFK: Well, I think in principle we can be quite happy. We have three candidates that are capable of carrying out the Games, so this is a big step forward. We shouldn’t have a complete flop in there. Now, which one will be elected for political or for technical reasons? That’s a completely different story. That’s up to the IOC members, but for us I would say all three are acceptable.

ATR: Anything else on your radar at the moment?

GK: No, no. Things are going well. As I told you, with the 6,500 competitions this winter, we are more than busy. And unfortunately we only have three-and-a-half or four months of winter. We could need easily eight or nine months, but we have to work with what we have.

For more of Kasper’s thoughts on the 2018 bids, stay tuned. Around the Rings will feature a series of Q&As with the seven winter Olympic federation chiefs in the months leading up to the July 6 host decision in Durban.

Written by Matthew Grayson.