– Destructive and not very forward-looking – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule

– Basically, I feel that those who sit and decide in FIS are a bit destructive and not very forward-looking. There, we athletes have an important task to say what we want. And push it a little, says Silje Opseth to NRK.

Opseth was one of a total of 27 athletes from the World Cup circus on the women’s side who sent a letter to the FIS, in connection with the organization’s spring meeting in Prague.

In the letter, the athletes presented their thoughts on the development of women’s jumping for the future.

Quite concretely, they have asked and argued that they should have the same competition calendar as the men. They want more races in general, also on large slopes.

– A challenge to see if they can dare to invest more in us. Because we believe we have great potential to deliver something that is even more spectacular and fun to watch than what it is today, says Opseth.

Taking action

Director of racing in FIS, Sandro Pertile, told NRK that it was decided at FIS’s committee meeting on Wednesday that the female jumpers will have the same racing calendar as the men in the future.

This means that jumping moves in the same direction as biathlon and cross-country skiing, where women and men have the same race calendar, compete in the same place and at the same time.

But this will still take time, Pertile points out.

– This does not happen overnight. It must be clear. It will be a step to start now, but we do not expect any changes next season, because the season is already underway, says the race director to NRK.

The changes will only take place in 2025/2026 with the aim of a completely parallel calendar from 2026/2027, he underlines.

– Did the letter from the female jumpers help decide this?

– It was one of the elements, but not the decisive element. There is a group of athletes who have asked about something, but this letter was not signed by the athlete representative for the female ski jumpers, he says further.

– Creates chaos

Opseth agrees that the athletes should have taken the letter with the athlete representative, but that the initiative on their part has resulted in the athlete representative sharpening his job. Something positive, she thinks.

– So in the future there will probably be no more letter writing, but that we work more directly through our athlete representative.

The FIS reactions to the letter have nevertheless been divided. Some have been positive, others not, according to Opseth.

– And then there are others who think that the athletes shouldn’t say anything and that we don’t understand how the system in FIS works and that we are actually just creating chaos by sharing something like that, says Opseth.

– How do you feel that those who perform should not be allowed to say anything?

– I think it’s very awkward to hear. The Norwegian Ski Association exists because we are athletes who invest in our sport and the FIS exists because they have athletes who invest in their sport. And if the performers are not to be listened to, why are they there then? That’s my opinion on that. At the same time, I understand that things in that system must be dealt with in a very formal way, she says.

Understands the performers

Chika Yoshida, FIS race director for women’s jumping, understands that the current athletes are impatient and that they want to see changes quickly.

– I understand what they know, otherwise they will lose their chance. But I hope they understand. It cannot change so quickly. For example, the Austrian Ski Association must get its slopes ready for both women and men. And if they can’t do this quickly, I can’t change anything quickly either, she says to NRK.

Thus, most of it is up to the confederation, which invests its money in facilities etc., which mainly decides.

At the same time, Yoshida strongly encourages the athletes to raise their voices.

– I hope the athletes understand that we want them to speak. They are the main characters.