TELEMARK STEPS CLOSER TO THE OLYMPICS
18th May 2018 | Jane Peel, Chief Reporter
Last modified on March 22nd, 2024
Skiing’s world governing body is to recommend that Telemark be included in the Winter Games at Beijing in 2022. It’s a big moment for the world’s oldest ski discipline.
The decision came at the biennial Congress of the International Ski Federation (FIS) in Greece.
Delegates voted in favour of recommending the inclusion of two Telemark race events – the parallel sprint and the mixed-gender team parallel sprint.
The team who made the presentation to Congress on behalf of the discipline say they’re delighted.
“A new day, a new dawn,” said Andrew Clarke, the Chairman of the FIS Telemark committee and founder of the British Telemark Association, who led the bid team.
“A defining day for FIS Telemark. A giant leap in the right direction.”
Andrew Clark
It’s the culmination of a long campaign by the ‘free-heelers’ but it doesn’t mean that Telemark will automatically be represented in China.
The final say on which events are added to or taken out of the Games rests with the International Olympic Committee.
It will decide next month.
Read our earlier article with the full story of Telemark’s Olympic bid:
A copy of the PlanetSKI story was placed in front of all delegates by supporters of the move.
PlanetSKI’s report on Telemark shown at IOC. Photo c/o FIS Telemark
Telemark was one of a number of ski and snowboard disciplines looking for support from FIS, among them team aerials and team snowboard cross.
It chose to focus its campaign on getting the head-to-head parallel racing formats included in the Olympics rather than the more traditional individual races.
Parallel ski and snowboard events have proved increasingly popular with spectators, event organisers, television companies and sponsors.
If the IOC supports Telemark this summer, no-one will be happier than Britain’s leading Telemark racer, Jasmin Taylor.
Jasmin Taylor at Steamboat Springs 2016. Image c/o FIS Telemark
The 24-year-old has just had her best season with 14 World Cup podiums, including four wins and she finished fourth overall in the world rankings.
“It’s incredible that Telemark could now really reach the Olympic platform,” she told PlanetSKI shortly after Friday’s successful vote.
“This has been my lifelong dream and now it could be a reality. This is a huge step for the sport and I’m excited to see where we will move next.”
Watch this video produced by Tele Ho, Slovenia, for the #MakeTelemarkOlympic campaign:
And here’s the happy team of Telemarkers at the FIS Congress in Costa Navarino, Greece:
L-R: Matti Lopez (French racer), Beatrice Zimmermann (Swiss racer), Andrew Clarke (FIS Telemark Chairman), Jasmin Taylor (GB racer), Hans-Peter Birchler (FIS Telemark committee), Neil Dixon (French Ski Federation) – Image c/o FIS Telemark
The FIS Congress has also decided which venues will host the World Championships in alpine, nordic, freestyle ski and snowboard, and ski flying in 2022 and 2023.
