International Ski and Snowboard Federation

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) is the global governing body for skiing and snowboarding. It oversees various international competitions, including the Alpine Ski World Cup and events within the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. FIS sets rules and regulations for these sports and aims to promote their development worldwide. Recently, FIS has been in the news due to controversies surrounding athlete participation. Specifically, Italy has opposed the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete with their national flags and anthems, a decision made after an initial ban following the invasion of Ukraine. This has put FIS, which works closely with the IPC, under scrutiny. Additionally, the cancellation of a pre-Winter Olympics race after Lindsey Vonn's crash during a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event highlights the organization's role in managing and overseeing athlete safety and competition schedules leading up to major events like the Olympics.