FIS News In Brief - Mid December 2017
Lindsey Vonn named Youth Olympic Games 2020 Ambassador
Last weekend, Alpine super star Lindsey Vonn (USA) was announced as the first Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games Ambassador.
The announcement by the IOC was made in conjunction with the Audi FIS Ski World Cup races in St Moritz – which will host the luge, skeleton, bobsled and speed skating events at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2020.
This is the third time that Vonn has been a Youth Olympic Games Ambassador dating back to the inaugural event in Innsbruck in 2012.
“It is so important that we support young athletes to discover where sport can take them. I have a platform to promote the great work the IOC is doing for young people and hope to inspire more people to enjoy sport and to stay in sport. Lausanne is a city with such Olympic history and with its amazing venues and beautiful scenery, I can’t wait to be involved”, Vonn commented.
Condolences
FIS was saddened to learn about the passing of young alpine skier Max Burkhart (GER), long-standing FIS Committee Member Elisabeth Hussey (GBR) and Alpine Technical Delegate Bruce Crane (USA).
Max Burkhart
Max Burkhart tragically lost his life on 6th December 2017 in Canada, following a crash during downhill competition in the FIS Nor-Am Cup races at Lake Louise (CAN). The 17-year-old was a member of Ski Club Partenkirchen in Germany and attended Sugar Bowl Academy in California, USA.
Burkhart lost control during his run and suffered serious injuries to his lower body. A day later, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital in Calgary.
Elisabeth Hussey
Elisabeth Hussey died peacefully on 2nd December 2017 at the age of 88.
Known universally throughout FIS as ‘Auntie’, Elisabeth was a journalist and editor of ‘Ski Survey’, the Ski Club of Great Britain magazine.
In the UK, Elisabeth was President of the Ladies’ Ski Club from 1978-1981, and Vice-President of the Kandahar Ski Club.
At FIS level, Hussey served in a number of roles, including as Chair of the FIS PR and Mass Media Committee for many years. She retired at the 2006 FIS Congress in Vilamoura (POR) after 33 years of dedicated service, including with the FIS Sub-Committee for Alpine Citizen Racers since 1973 and with the FIS PR and Mass Media Committee since 1980, after which she was appointed Honorary Member.
Elisabeth Hussey made a considerable impact on the worldwide promotion of the FIS disciplines and the preservation of the history of skiing. As a tribute to Elisabeth's great work in researching and documenting the history of skiing, she was awarded the inaugural Marc Hodler Foundation award in 2009.
Bruce Crane
Bruce Crane (USA), a long-time FIS Technical Delegate and member of the FIS Sub-Committee for Alpine Courses, passed away at the age of 71.
Crane was appointed as FIS Technical Delegate in 1974 at the age of 27. His 2017/18 season’s license would have been his 43rd year as a licensed Technical Delegate.
On a national level, Crane held numerous positions with U.S. Ski and Snowboard both as a member of staff and as a volunteer. In 2002, he received the Bud and Mary Little Award for long-time service to FIS and the Olympic community.
FIS would like to express its sincerest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of Max Burkhart, Elisabeth Hussey and Bruce Crane.
Wendy Holdener Switzerland’s Athlete of the Year
Alpine skier Wendy Holdener was crowned as the best female athlete of the year 2017 at the Swiss Sports Awards gala held in Zurich last weekend. Holdener won gold in the combined and silver in the slalom at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz.
Alpine star Beat Feuz, who took downhill gold in St. Moritz ranked third in the men’s category, behind tennis ace Roger Federer and mountain bike star Nino Schurter
Happy Birthday Longines!
Longines, the official partner and timekeeper of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, is celebrating its 185th anniversary this year. Ski stars and Ambassadors of Elegance Mikaela Shiffrin and Aksel Lund Svindal joined the family of international Longines Ambassadors in wishing the brand a happy birthday.
In November, Longines celebrated its 185th anniversary in Beijing, commemorating a legacy of tradition, elegance and performance at a grand gala evening in the capital’s historic Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao). Headlining the event was the official launch of the Record collection, the latest emblem of the brand’s watchmaking expertise.
David Wise: Olympic Dreams and Golden Memories
In the latest Freestyle ‘Behind the Scenes’ episode, Olympic ski halfpipe champion David Wise (USA) opens up about the “moment of clarity” that he had while standing on the podium and listening the U.S. national anthem play at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and the reason why the Olympics will always be very special to him.
What it’s all about: Magnus Kim on cross-country skiing
Magnus Kim was one of the stars of the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2016 in Lillehammer (NOR), reaching the podium in every event he entered and winning two gold medals.
Born to a Korean mother and a Norwegian father, Kim spent part of his childhood in Norway, where he had access to a local ski club. On the IOC website, the 19-year-old gives insight into the life of a cross-country skier as he prepares for his home Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
Learning Korean 101
With less than 60 days to the Olympic Winter Games 2018, FIS Nordic Combined, with the assistance of Korean athlete Je-Un Park, taught the athletes the most relevant Korean words.
