Int'l Ski Federation President Says PyeongChang Olympic Test Events In Doubt

Int'l Ski Federation (FIS) President Gian Franco-Kasper said that it is "almost impossible" that ski and snowboard test events for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics scheduled for next year will go ahead as planned, according to Steve Keating of REUTERS. The longtime president and influential IOC member said that "political squabbling and proposed venue changes could result in the postponement of a number of test events." Kasper said, "We had them here, a big delegation (PyeongChang organizers) and now they think about changing snowboard, freestyle, everything, although it is almost finished. The new places make test events almost impossible, next year, particularly the alpine." PyeongChang's preparations for the first Asian winter Olympics outside Japan "have been hit by budget problems and delays in some venues" (REUTERS, 2/9).