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Risk management framework for competitive alpine skiing-co-developed with stakeholders
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2025-09) Bonell Monsonis, Oriol; Verhagen, Evert; Gouttebarge, Vincent; Alhammoud, Marine; Collins, Dave; Ellenberger, Lynn; Gilgien, Matthias; Jordan, Matt; Lasshofer, Michael; Mitterbauer, Gerald; Okell, Abi; Pasanen, Kati; Supej, Matej; Bolling, Caroline; Sporri, Jorg
Previous research has shown that stakeholders in the competitive alpine skiing communities consider risk management to be crucial in sports injury prevention. However, to date, there is a lack of a publicly available systematic and structured risk management approach for the competitive alpine skiing context. This work describes the codevelopment process of a risk management framework with stakeholders in the field of competitive alpine skiing. A panel of international experts invited through personal requests and with expertise in health protection and performance enhancement in competitive alpine skiing convened three times through online group meetings to co-develop a risk management framework through different activities. The underlying discussions focused on the fundamental questions of ‘why’, ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘how’ and ‘for whom’ and included the debate on specific examples from sports practice. The outcome after three meetings was a risk management framework. This framework includes a competitive alpine skiing-specific prevention wheel that integrates different stakeholder views relevant to different levels, their risk priorities, the main five domains and intervention areas identified from the literature, the graded and progressive timescale to intervene and the potential targets for risk management interventions. Moreover, the framework includes a decision-making tree, which operationalises the prevention wheel into a step-by-step sequence for risk management, including risk identification, risk assessment and risk mitigation. It should help stakeholders recognise their responsibilities and the potential actions they can take. Practical examples are provided to demonstrate how to apply the framework and to illustrate the complexity and dynamic interaction of the various factors in the competitive alpine skiing setting. The risk management framework developed lays a strong foundation for creating a safer environment for alpine skiers. It likewise contributes to providing overall awareness of the complexity and inter-relations of risks and prevention measures in the sport. By doing so, this framework has the potential to initiate further processes and on-field translation to sustainably and long-term improve athlete health and safety in competitive alpine skiing.
International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) consensus statement on training and testing in competitive alpine and freestyle skiers and snowboarders
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2025-08) Sporri, Jorg; Bonell Monsonis, Oriol; Balsiger, Peter; Bahr, Roald; Dios, Caitlin; Engebretsen, Lars; Finnoff, Jonathan T.; Gillespie, Sarah; Horterer, Hubert; Mitterbauer, Gerald; Pasanen, Kati; Raschner, Christian; Reardon, Claudia L.; Scherr, Johannes; Schobersberger, Wolfgang; Valtonen, Maarit; Weirather, Tina; Gouttebarge, Vincent; Bolling, Caroline; Verhagen, Evert
To enhance performance, increase resilience and prevent injuries, training and testing (T&T) are the most important strategies for preparing athletes for the demands of their sport. However, for competitive snow sports such as alpine skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, there is little evidence and a lack of international harmonisation of current best practices. This consensus statement, commissioned by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), aims to provide recommendations for the physical and psychological T&T of competitive alpine and freestyle skiers and snowboarders within National Ski and Snowboard Associations. A diverse international consensus panel was selected to represent the subject matter regarding gender, nationality, expertise/background, level of competition and skiing and snowboarding discipline. Researchers, officials, physicians, physiotherapists, coaches and former athletes with extensive experience in the field were among the experts. However, the panel had a limited gender balance (seven women and 13 men) and was over-represented by European members (65%) and North American members (20%), whereas there was limited representation of perspectives from South American (5%), Australasian (5%) and African (5%) experts and a lack of experts from Asia. In the first step, the panel established an overarching structure of topics and questions to be addressed by the consensus statement. Following the RAND-UCLA appropriateness method, the consensus process subsequently included panellist ratings, discussions and revisions informed by statements derived from the literature or expert/panellist opinions. These two outcomes served as the basis for manuscript writing, which was finalised through two iterative rounds of manuscript feedback and revision. This consensus statement aims to help athletes, coaches and medical staff of international and national federations plan and implement effective T&T activities for competitive alpine and freestyle skiers and snowboarders.
In Memoriam: Dr Paul Bartels (22 February 1956 - 03 July 2025)
(2025-10) Burroughs, Richard; South African Veterinary Association. Veterinary History Society
Dr Paul Bartels was a leading South African veterinarian and conservation scientist whose work advanced wildlife reproductive science and biobanking. Trained at Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria, he contributed to major institutions including the National Zoo, SANBI, the Smithsonian, and founded the Wildlife Breeding Centre at Pelindaba. His research on cloning and double-headed spermatozoa positioned him as a pioneer in conservation biotechnology. Bartels helped establish the South African Biobank Network and actively supported young conservationists through WESSA. Known for his vision, innovation, and collaborative spirit, he left a lasting impact on wildlife conservation in South Africa and abroad.
In Memoriam: Dr Clive Marwick
(2025-10) Havinga, Lynette; South African Veterinary Association. Veterinary History Society
Dr Clive Marwick was a rural, large animal practitioner in the Eastern Free State. He was known as the "father of bovine herd health in SA". Clive has served in various national and international professional organizations, including the South African Veterinary Association, the South African Veterinary Council, the Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty Board, the World Veterinary Association, and many more. He was also consistently nominated by his colleagues and others to serve on the financial committees of organizations and institutions. Dr Clive served as President of the South African Veterinary Council, where he demonstrated decisive, fair, and principled leadership. He has been deeply committed to the greater good throughout his more than twenty years of working with colleagues. He made people feel seen, heard, and valued, and lived his life as a man of God with quiet dignity, grace, and purpose.
Institutional repositories as tools to enhance research visibility and leverage SDGs
(Department of Library Services (UPDLS), 2025-07) Mathiba, Tlou
Institutional repositories are digital platforms in which institutions archive, manage and
disseminate scholarly outputs within and beyond. The repositories leverage the knowledge to
advance research and development (R&D), and innovation. The 2015 National Research
Foundation (NRF) statement on Open Access states that, “the data supporting the publication
should be deposited in a trusted open access repository, with the provision of a Digital Object
Identifier (DOI) for future citation and referencing.” In supporting the NRF open access
mandate, the South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and research institutions
implemented the repositories such as open source and/or proprietary. Academic libraries as
knowledge hubs are well positioned to ensure discoverability and retrieval of information,
scholarly outputs and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Researchers need to expose
their work by publishing in a repository and use appropriate tools to enhance research
visibility and impact for wider audience. When the research is discoverable, it has societal
impact such as advancing knowledge, informing policy, or solving real-world problems.
Therefore, the visibility makes libraries one of the key partners and contributors in achieving
United Nations SDGs. This also shows that libraries are also contributors to the global
knowledge economy and the advocators of the Open Science movement and knowledge
equity.