INTERNEWSTIMES.COM – Starting next winter, ski jumpers will be required to wear special suits equipped with NFC chips. The new rule was issued by the International Ski Federation (FIS) with the goal of creating a level playing field and reducing costs.
The NFC chips embedded in the suits will allow FIS to monitor athletes’ compliance with the regulations. FIS is limiting the number of suits each athlete can use in each competition. Each athlete can only use one suit per competition and a maximum of 10 suits per season.
This rule is a response to concerns about the cost disparity between athletes from large and small nations. Previously, athletes were free to use any number of suits during the competition season. However, this led to unfairness as athletes from smaller nations with limited budgets could not afford to buy many suits.
“This has long been a very important concern for the teams and for us that we manage to reduce the number of suits. It’s about equality of opportunity and, of course, also about reducing costs and sustainability,” said FIS race director Sandro Pertile.
“This is now possible with the use of chips, which we are very pleased about. Of course, we still need to gain experience with the new technology in competition mode, but that is part of the process.”
The use of NFC technology in ski jumping is a new development that is expected to improve fairness and efficiency in the sport. (Red)
