Alpine team event added to 2018 Olympic program

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee today agreed on the event program and athlete quotas for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Two FIS events have been added to the 2018 Olympic program: Alpine skiing Nations Team Event (mixed men and women) and Snowboard Big Air.

“I am very pleased with the decision to include these two events that reflect both the traditional and youth elements of the FIS disciplines,” said FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. “The athlete, media and fan reaction to both events has been overwhelmingly positive, and I believe both events will make a fine addition to the Olympic Games.”

The alpine Nations Team Event was a favorite at the recent FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek. The event features a mixed team of two men and two women competing for their national teams in a head-to-head slalom with a knock-out format per round. Traditionally, 16 teams start the competition to whittle it down to medal winners. The alpine Team Event made its FIS World Championship debut in 2005, and in the parallel format in 2011.

The changes reflect the continued evolution of the Winter Olympic program and build on the success of recent editions of the Games. They also build on the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 which aim to create more flexibility in the program of the Olympic Games.

Requests for changes to the program were received from the international sports federations and considered according to the following criteria: added value; youth appeal; attractiveness for TV, media and the general public; gender equality; minimum impact on the number of events and/or quotas; and infrastructure and operational cost and complexity.

The international sports federations and the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 were consulted throughout the review process and their feedback was taken into account.

Release courtesy of FIS