Fluor crackdown: Disqualification, fines, and points deduction
During Vasaloppet and all events at Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2024, there will be a strict crackdown on fluor: disqualification, fines, and points deduction.
During Vasaloppet and all events at Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2024, there will be a strict crackdown on fluor: disqualification, fines, and points deduction.
For a week, rumors of fluor cheating have swirled after one of the long-distance skiing stars came forward claiming that competitors are cheating. Now, the long-distance skiing teams feel unjustly suspected.
This winter, there have been noticeably more significant differences in skis. Rumors are swirling that some are taking advantage of the time between races to “saturate” the skis with fluor, then clean them and apply fluor-free wax before competitions.
As the World Cup premiere in Ruka approaches, the controversy surrounding the ban on fluorinated ski preparation products has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the skiing community. In the wake of Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel’s disqualification in alpine skiing, many are apprehensive about the situation on the tracks.
The fluor ban is causing concern: “If someone wants to sabotage, they will find a way to do it.”
From next winter, a fluor ban will be introduced at all FIS and IBU-sanctioned competitions. Skiers caught using fluor will be disqualified. Technology is helping the Swedish national team.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has announced in a press release that the fluor wax ban will be fully implemented at the start of the upcoming 2023/2024 winter season. The decision has been made due to potential health risks and environmental concerns connected to fluorine waxes.
The cross-country skiing World Cup heads to Tallinn for a sprint race on Tuesday evening. There, only fluor-free products will be used; common waxing is also being tested.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced last Thursday that the fluor wax ban had been delayed for another year. Teemu Lemmettylä, waxing manager for the Finnish Olympic team, says there were several issues with the testing and process.
The International Ski Federation council announced in November 2019 to ban all use of fluorinated ski wax for all FIS races starting from the 2020-21 season. Later, however, FIS decided to postpone the ban, as an adequate and reliable testing procedure could not be implemented in time.
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