{"id":2127668,"date":"2026-09-04T08:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T05:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2127668"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T05:21:33","slug":"fis-could-move-to-three-world-championship-years-out-of-every-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2127668","title":{"rendered":"FIS Could Move to Three World Championship Years Out of Every Four"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_253661\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-253661\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-253661 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFDAQMAAACQly3nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADBJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20LL6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOBlmMwABBiqmVgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"Medal Tally\" width=\"640\" height=\"323\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6951CCE8-3CCC-435B-8C3F-D344A80EE36A-min-e1788509726579.jpeg?resize=640%2C323&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6951CCE8-3CCC-435B-8C3F-D344A80EE36A-min-e1788509726579.jpeg?w=1170&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6951CCE8-3CCC-435B-8C3F-D344A80EE36A-min-e1788509726579.jpeg?resize=300%2C151&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6951CCE8-3CCC-435B-8C3F-D344A80EE36A-min-e1788509726579.jpeg?resize=768%2C387&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"323\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-253661 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6951CCE8-3CCC-435B-8C3F-D344A80EE36A-min-e1788509726579.jpeg?resize=640%2C323&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Medal Tally\" width=\"640\" height=\"323\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-253661\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">World Championship medals | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The FIS Council met for a two-day session in Thun, Switzerland this week, and buried among a list of governance decisions was one that could genuinely reshape the international ski and snowboard calendar: FIS has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fis-ski.com\/inside-fis\/news\/2026-27\/fis-council-concludes-two-day-meeting-in-thun\">agreed<\/a> in principle to hold World Championships not just every other year, but in three years out of every four, starting in 2032.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s a bigger potential shift than it might first sound, and to understand why, it helps to know how the current every-other-year system came to exist in the first place.<\/strong> Currently, FIS World Championships in most disciplines are held every other year, while FIS Junior World Championships are held every year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-2026-inaugural-fis-freeride-world-championships-in-andorra\/\"><em>All You Need to Know About the 2026 Inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships in Andorra<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>When FIS was founded in Chamonix in 1924 \u2014 at the very first Winter Olympics \u2014 there was no separate World Championship at all.<\/strong> The Olympics simply <em>were<\/em> the World Championships. Olympic ski medals doubled as World Championship medals, an arrangement that continued for decades. That started to change after World War II. From 1948 through 1980, both Alpine and Nordic World Championships were held every even-numbered year \u2014 but in Olympic years, the Olympics themselves still served as the World Championships, while a separate, standalone World Championship event was held in the even years <em>between<\/em> Olympics. So skiers already had championships roughly every two years, alternating between \u201cthe Olympics count as Worlds\u201d and \u201ca dedicated non-Olympic World Championship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>That arrangement finally ended after the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.<\/strong> FIS decided to fully decouple its World Championships from the Olympics, and starting in 1985, both Alpine and Nordic World Championships moved to a clean odd-year cycle \u2014 held every other year, always in odd-numbered years, never overlapping with an Olympics again. Freestyle skiing adopted the same odd-year cycle when its World Championships launched in 1986, and snowboarding followed suit when its own World Championships began in 1996 (the two disciplines have shared a combined Freestyle\/Snowboard World Championship since 2015).<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-15\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<div class=\"sb-trending-widget\">\n<div class=\"sb-trending-header\">\n            <span class=\"sb-trending-icon\">\ud83d\udd25<\/span><br \/>\n            <span class=\"sb-trending-label\">Trending on SnowBrains<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n<ol class=\"sb-trending-list\">\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/falls-creek-charlotte-pass-close-early-2026\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-thumb\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAFAAAABAAQMAAAC3CWJ1AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAA9JREFUKM9jYBgFo2DoAgACwAABuG9msgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"Falls Creek, Charlotte Pass Close Early on Rough 2026 Season\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4468-e1788397097560.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4468-e1788397097560.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Falls Creek, Charlotte Pass Close Early on Rough 2026 Season\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">Falls Creek, Charlotte Pass Close Early on Rough 2026 Season<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/old-farmers-almanac-winter-forecast-canada-ski\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-thumb\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAFAAAABAAQMAAAC3CWJ1AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAA9JREFUKM9jYBgFo2DoAgACwAABuG9msgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"Old Farmer&apos;s Almanac Winter Forecast: Canada Ski Guide\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/vcsPRAsset_3699283_200296_32b4759b-34dd-44df-b0d1-7c184b14e0e2_0-e1788339304980.jpg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/vcsPRAsset_3699283_200296_32b4759b-34dd-44df-b0d1-7c184b14e0e2_0-e1788339304980.jpg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Old Farmer&apos;s Almanac Winter Forecast: Canada Ski Guide\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">2<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">Old Farmer&#8217;s Almanac Winter Forecast: Canada Ski Guide<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/romania-ski-resort-44-million-transformation\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-thumb\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAFAAAABAAQMAAAC3CWJ1AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAA9JREFUKM9jYBgFo2DoAgACwAABuG9msgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"A Small Romanian Ski Area is Getting a \u20ac44M Transformation\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_4390.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_4390.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"A Small Romanian Ski Area is Getting a \u20ac44M Transformation\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">3<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">A Small Romanian Ski Area is Getting a \u20ac44M Transformation<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/usda-loan-oregon-ski-area\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-thumb\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAFAAAABAAQMAAAC3CWJ1AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAA9JREFUKM9jYBgFo2DoAgACwAABuG9msgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"USDA Gives $650,000 Loan to Historic Oregon Ski Area\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/anthony-lakes.jpg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/anthony-lakes.jpg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"USDA Gives $650,000 Loan to Historic Oregon Ski Area\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">4<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">USDA Gives $650,000 Loan to Historic Oregon Ski Area<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/fis-could-move-to-three-world-championship-years-out-of-every-four\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-thumb\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAFAAAABAAQMAAAC3CWJ1AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAA9JREFUKM9jYBgFo2DoAgACwAABuG9msgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"FIS is Looking to Increase World Championship Frequency\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"FIS is Looking to Increase World Championship Frequency\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">5<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">FIS is Looking to Increase World Championship Frequency<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<p>    .sb-trending-widget {<br \/>\n        background: #f8f8f8;<br \/>\n        border-top: 2px solid #e0e0e0;<br \/>\n        border-left: 4px solid #ea2e49;<br \/>\n        border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;<br \/>\n        margin: 28px 0;<br \/>\n        padding: 14px 14px 6px;<br \/>\n        width: 100%;<br \/>\n        box-sizing: border-box;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-header {<br \/>\n        display: flex;<br \/>\n        align-items: center;<br \/>\n        gap: 8px;<br \/>\n        margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n        padding-bottom: 10px;<br \/>\n        border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-icon {<br \/>\n        font-size: 18px;<br \/>\n        line-height: 1;<br \/>\n        flex-shrink: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-label {<br \/>\n        font-size: 15px;<br \/>\n        font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n        color: #1a1a1a;<br \/>\n        line-height: 1.3;<br \/>\n        text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n        letter-spacing: 0.04em;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-list {<br \/>\n        list-style: none;<br \/>\n        margin: 0;<br \/>\n        padding: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-item {<br \/>\n        border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e8e8;<br \/>\n        padding: 9px 0;<br \/>\n        border-radius: 3px;<br \/>\n        transition: background 0.1s;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-item:last-child {<br \/>\n        border-bottom: none;<br \/>\n        padding-bottom: 4px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-item:active {<br \/>\n        background: #fef0f2;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-link {<br \/>\n        display: flex;<br \/>\n        align-items: center;<br \/>\n        gap: 10px;<br \/>\n        text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n        color: inherit;<br \/>\n        padding: 2px 4px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-thumb {<br \/>\n        flex-shrink: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-thumb img {<br \/>\n        display: block;<br \/>\n        width: 80px;<br \/>\n        height: 64px;<br \/>\n        object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n        border-radius: 3px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-text {<br \/>\n        display: flex;<br \/>\n        align-items: center;<br \/>\n        gap: 8px;<br \/>\n        flex: 1;<br \/>\n        min-width: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-num {<br \/>\n        font-size: 22px;<br \/>\n        font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n        color: #ea2e49;<br \/>\n        line-height: 1;<br \/>\n        min-width: 22px;<br \/>\n        flex-shrink: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-right {<br \/>\n        flex: 1;<br \/>\n        min-width: 0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-title {<br \/>\n        font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n        font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n        color: #1a1a1a;<br \/>\n        line-height: 1.45;<br \/>\n        text-align: left;<br \/>\n        transition: color 0.15s;<br \/>\n        display: inline;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-arrow {<br \/>\n        font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n        color: #ea2e49;<br \/>\n        font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n        white-space: nowrap;<br \/>\n        display: inline;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-link:hover .sb-trending-title {<br \/>\n        color: #ea2e49;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-link:active .sb-trending-title {<br \/>\n        color: #ea2e49;<br \/>\n    }<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_352864\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-352864\" style=\"width: 725px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-352864 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAJlAQMAAABwitFRAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAEdJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20MH6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOBsH1AAETXE0eAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"613\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_9745-min-e1740699643629.jpeg?resize=640%2C613&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_9745-min-e1740699643629.jpeg?w=725&amp;ssl=1 725w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_9745-min-e1740699643629.jpeg?resize=300%2C287&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_9745-min-e1740699643629.jpeg?resize=600%2C574&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"613\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-352864\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_9745-min-e1740699643629.jpeg?resize=640%2C613&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"613\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-352864\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ester Ledecka in the starting gate at the World Championships. | Image: Justin Reiter Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The result is the system every current ski racing fan knows: Olympics every four years, World Championships in the odd years in between for Alpine, Nordic, Freestyle, and Snowboard.<\/strong> One notable exception: Ski Flying, which already runs its own separate even-year cycle \u2014 Oberstdorf hosted in 2026, and Planica hosts in 2028 \u2014 so the calendar isn\u2019t quite as uniformly odd-year-only as it might seem.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The concept FIS approved this week would add World Championships in even, non-Olympic years as well \u2014 essentially reviving a version of the pre-1985 rhythm, minus the Olympics-doubling-as-Worlds part.<\/strong> Across a typical four-year Olympic cycle, that would mean:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Year 1 (odd):<\/strong> World Championships<\/li>\n<li><strong>Year 2 (even, non-Olympic):<\/strong> World Championships \u2014 new<\/li>\n<li><strong>Year 3 (odd):<\/strong> World Championships<\/li>\n<li><strong>Year 4 (Olympic year):<\/strong> Olympics only<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s three World Championship editions for every one Olympics, starting in 2032 \u2014 up from the two-per-four-years rhythm the sport has followed since 1985.<\/strong> FIS also left the door open to moving faster, saying it\u2019s willing to explore an additional edition as soon as 2028, pending a more detailed assessment.<\/p>\n<p><b>It is important to note<\/b><strong> that FIS has only approved the concept so far, not a finished plan.<\/strong> The Council\u2019s statement doesn\u2019t specify which disciplines would actually receive the new even-year editions \u2014 that detail is still to be worked out. It\u2019s reasonable to assume Alpine, Nordic, Freestyle, and Snowboard are the disciplines under consideration, since they\u2019re the ones currently on the odd-year cycle this change would expand, but FIS hasn\u2019t confirmed that breakdown yet.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_349584\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-349584\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-349584 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAIDAQMAAACuJz0WAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD9JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAODOi8wABWKADNAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"515\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?resize=640%2C515&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?resize=300%2C241&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?resize=768%2C618&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?resize=600%2C482&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"515\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-349584\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2903.jpeg?resize=640%2C515&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"515\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-349584\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Breezy Johnson claimed victory at the 2025 World Championships in Downhill on February 8, 2025. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>According to the Council\u2019s own summary, the decision followed a preliminary feasibility study built around three pillars: sporting value, calendar assessment, and commercial and media-rights potential.<\/strong> The commercial angle isn\u2019t just implied \u2014 FIS has spent the past year actively building out the World Championships as a media property. Confirmed hosts are already locked in through 2029: Alpine in Crans-Montana (2027) and Narvik (2029); Nordic in Falun (2027) and Lahti (2029); Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski in Montafon (2027) and Zhangjiakou (2029). In 2025, FIS signed a multi-year international media-rights deal with Infront covering all of these events. More World Championship editions means more of that same inventory to sell.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That same Thun meeting also saw the Council agree on core principles for a new long-term World Cup calendar, built around regional clusters, emerging-market development, and a formal \u201cCalendar Impact Score\u201d for evaluating events \u2014 suggesting FIS is thinking about the commercial value of its whole calendar, not just the World Championships in isolation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The obvious question however is: does making World Championships more frequent make them less special?<\/strong> For athletes, an Olympic medal and a World Championship title are typically the two biggest prizes in the sport. Adding a third championship year to every four-year cycle could dilute that rarity even as it creates more opportunities to compete and win and could also dilute spectatorship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Regulations and a formal draft calendar are still to come, working through FIS Management and the Media Rights Executive Board before returning to the Council for approval after the Autumn Meetings.<\/strong> Nothing changes for the confirmed 2027 and 2029 championships. But if the plan survives that process, the odd-year-only rhythm the sport has followed since 1985 could be on its way out.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_265290\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-265290\" style=\"width: 1080px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-265290 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFPAQMAAADnVe2cAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADFJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Gf6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgMaf8AAZ7pIxwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"FIS medals\" width=\"640\" height=\"335\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=640%2C335&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=300%2C157&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=768%2C402&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=600%2C314&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"335\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-265290\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/87996B16-A29A-4784-895F-D2404C73D46D.jpeg?resize=640%2C335&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"FIS medals\" width=\"640\" height=\"335\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-265290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">FIS World Championships medals. | Image: FIS Ski Website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Championship medals | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram The FIS Council met for a two-day session in Thun, Switzerland this week, and buried among a list of governance decisions was one that could genuinely reshape the international ski and snowboard calendar: FIS has agreed in principle to hold World Championships not just every other year, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-2127668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2127668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127668\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2127668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2127668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2127668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}