On Friday, a decision will be made by the International Ski Federation, Fis, regarding the fluoride ban.

The idea is that test machines should be able to measure if skis have a wall with an illegal amount of fluoride.

When SVT reaches Niklas Jonsson, who sits on both Fi's length committee and the Swedish length council, he gives his view on the matter.

- The information we received is that if you get a decision that the machines work, there will be about 20-25, in total.

They will be distributed in all disciplines in Fis, which means three or four per discipline.

It does not sound like very many.

- That number will probably be needed internationally, in the World Cup and the upcoming World Cup, and it will clearly be a challenge for the smaller competitions internationally as well as competitions at national level.

But if not everyone can be tested - how to avoid cheating?

- You have to trust that people do not use fluoride-containing products.

It is based on trusting each other.

From a Swedish point of view, at Swedish competitions, I think that both the elite clubs and those who go are quite honest, Jonsson says to SVT and continues:

- On the other hand, I think there is a risk that if we see someone very well, which always happens that you see a fantastic performance in individual competitions, and we do not measure and know what that person has under the skis… Yes, then there is the risk that the person becomes suspicious.

That would be very unfortunate.

Wrong timing

Four days remain before the news arrives, and Jonsson is not convinced of the time.

"We agree on the fact that fluorvalla should be phased out, but I hope that the decision is postponed until it is ensured that we have a tool that works, that we get the opportunity to test that it works," he says and continues:

- Maybe we can also get an independent institute that tests it and that the national team can test how safe it is, that it is not possible to manipulate.

Otherwise we risk both conscious and unconscious cheating.

In Sweden, we had hoped for about ten machines per discipline.

SVT Sports expert Anders Blomquist, who previously feared fluoride doping, comments on Jonsson's comments.

- All the information we receive gives the impression that we will not have a functioning control system for compliance with the ban, in the worst case nothing at all.

It is completely unsatisfactory for fair and interesting competitions, he says and continues:

- The Fis council is forced to postpone the ban until we have a season where the control system has had time.

Otherwise, they damage the sport they are set to participate in and develop.