The use of fluorine wax is prohibited at the Engadin Ski Marathon. As part of the Engadin Women's Run, skis were tested and four female participants were disqualified. The tests are being intensified for the Engadin Ski Marathon.
At the Engadin Women's Run on March 3, the international ski association FIS checked compliance with the ban on fluorine wax. The skis of the top six winners and a further 16 participants were tested for fluorine wax. Fluorine waxes were detected in two of the top six winners and in two other participants. All four violations were punished by disqualification. The Organizing Committee of the Engadin Ski Marathon is very disappointed with these results. It condemns all attempts by athletes to gain an advantage through the prohibited use of fluorine wax.
The use of prohibited waxes is unsportsmanlike and harms nature.
Two-year suspension
Ski control for fluorine waxes will be intensified at the Engadin Ski Marathon on March 10. Comprehensive monitoring of the entire field is impossible. For this reason, the first-place winners are systematically checked and a number of random samples from the remaining participants are checked. All athletes who are disqualified will be published by name on the rankings.
They are also excluded from participating in Engadin Ski Marathon competitions for two years, which also affects their starting arrangements after the suspension. In the interest of fairness and environmental protection, the organizing committee calls on all participants to consistently comply with the ban on fluorine wax.
Media release of the Engadin Ski Marathon dated March 5, 2024.
Christian Gartmann has been Communications and Media Officer at the Engadin Ski Marathon since 2014 and advises organizers on crisis management and crisis communication.