The new season is approaching and it may be interesting for you to be informed on the problems that the Cross-Country world was discussing in October 1985.
The chairman was Ivar Formo NOR who was unhappy after having lost the battle at the FIS Congress in May, where he worked very hard to keep the classical technique as the only cross-country technique for the future. The congress, however, decided that for the upcoming season both techniques would be carried out in equal amounts in the program 1985-86.
Free technique in Biathlon and Nordic Combined
In biathlon the free technique was introduced as the only technique in the summer of 1985 and the same in Nordic Combined. Still more surprisingly was that also CISM with its old traditions in patrol competitions also decided to organize their annual competitions in the free technique.
Blind alley
The situation for the classical technique looked uncertain and the situation did not improve when the FIS President Marc Hodler and the FIS General Secretary Gian Franco Kaper could read in their daily paper NZZ what the sport journalist Toni Nötzli wrote in his leading article.
A short summary: “The International Ski federation and its Cross-Country Committee have got stuck in a blind alley. Referees will now watch if athletes have kept the technical rules—the fastest athlete will not longer be the winner—but the one who has been so smart that not to be observed when skating will win. A track police means that protests, disqualifications and appeals will occur and that will mark the tomb of Cross-Country skiing.”
You can read the whole article. Click 
here.
With this background a small working group started to elaborate rules and guidelines for the two techniques .The following persons were appointed to the group.
| Odd Martinsen | Chairman |
| Thomas Wassberg | Scandinavian countries |
| Barbara Petzold | Eastern Europe |
| Dietrich Martin | OPA |
| Björger Pettersen | Overseas |
End of Cross-Country skiing?
The season started for men in Labrador City in Canada far away and a tall Swedish TV commentator said in the transition “We are not at end of the world but when I raise I can see it”.
Complete article find here.
Here we had the single disqualification at a high level during the season - a Swedish racer who changed the track and the controller (the wife of the local butcher) judged it as a skating step and he was disqualified. Still he says it was not fair and as the team already had left the stadium he got no chance to appeal.
Persons who have met Odd Martinsen are aware of his talent to obtain a maximum of the resultants in meetings and at the end of the season he submitted to the FIS Council the following proposal:
50:50 Rule
As a result of the practical experiences of the working group during the season 1985/86 and discussions we have had with National Ski Federations, Team Captains, Coaches, Athletes and others, the opinion is that all WC races 1986/87 and 1987/88, WSC 1987 and OWG should be carried out 50% in free technique and 50% in the classical technique.
The working group voted 4 to 1 in favor of this statement.
For both techniques there will be:
- No separate competition rules (except definitions of techniques)
- No separate rules for equipment
- As similar courses as possible, corresponding to the FIS regulations.
In May 1986 the Council confirmed the two techniques and the distances for the WSC in Oberstdorf 1987 and OWG 1988 as follows
Ladies
Classical technique 5 and 15 km
Free technique 20 km and relay 4 x 5 km.
Men
Classical technique 15 and 30 km
Free technique 50 km and relay 4x10 km
End of Cross-Country skiing? Not really
The planning also included that the classical competitions should be carried out in the first part of the program and after that the free technique competitions. At the same Council meeting Odd Martinsen was appointed to new chairman after Ivar Formo who retired due to lack of time. What were the reactions from other persons before the season?
Gian Franco Kasper to Loipe Swiss May 1986.
“To our big surprise the competitions in both techniques have been carried out without any problems at the highest levels. The problems occurred in popular cross-country races especially at warm temperatures. Most of the athletes are positive to the two separate techniques and opposite to our fears there were no violations of the technique to be registered."
The whole article with Mr. Kasper is here.
Everything looked fine but behind there were shadows.
More to come Bengt in the corner.
