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    January 12, 2020 10:18 PM EST

    Ski jumpers will have to don better helmets and could be required to wear body armour as part of a determined bid by authorities to make the sport as safe as possible, a top official said. Aaron Rodgers Jersey . "Its an outdoor sport, its a risky sport. We were able over the years to make it safer... we could make it (even) safer," said Walter Hofer, the ski jumping race director at the International Ski Federation (FIS). Spectacular crashes are fairly common in jumping. Three-times Olympic gold medallist Thomas Morgenstern of Austria has ended up in hospital twice in the last two months after crashes where he suffered a broken finger as well as face and head injuries. "The next goal must be to make safer helmets with higher standards. Maybe we can do something for the protection of the body," Hofer told reporters high up on the normal hill late on Monday night as women jumpers whistled by at 90 kph (60 mph) at the Sochi Olympics. "Whatever is available on the market we will try." Hofer noted that Alpine ski officials had spent a long time studying jackets that contain small air bags to help cushion the impact of falls. "When they get something up there we will use it. At the moment I am preparing to use some protection for certain parts of our body, mostly the backbone," he said. Tougher helmets will be introduced into Alpine skiing and ski jumping authorities want to adopt the same standards. In recent years the FIS has taken a series of sometimes unpopular steps it says will make the sport fairer and safer. The federation imposes minimum body mass index requirements to weed out jumpers which it says are too light. Jumpers have to wear body tight suits with low aerodynamics, much to the irritation of athletes such as four-times Olympic gold medallist Simon Ammann of Switzerland. New hills have been redesigned to make the in-run smoother, a development which some jumpers say make takeoffs harder. A complex new system to compensate skiers for wind conditions will be used at the Sochi Games for the first time. Hofer, who has been at FIS for 22 years, said he began trying to make the sport safer some 20 years ago after he saw a series of bad falls. "I started to talk to experts and they told me Are you crazy? If you make ski jumping safer nobody will watch. It isnt right," said the ebullient Austrian. "I would like to attract parents to deliver their children to our beloved sport in a way they know it is a sport where athletes are cared for." As well as improving safety, Hofer - who notes that "when you release an athlete at 100 km/h from the takeoff, you cant take him back - is particularly keen to address rapidly changing wind conditions that have wrecked many a competition. Headwinds help athletes soar further but if they are too strong they can produce dangerously long jumps. Conversely, tail winds cut flying distances. In the past, officials would either scrap competitions altogether or restart them halfway through to take into account changing winds, which Hofer said frustrated spectators. Jumpers used to be judged on distance and style. Under the new system, they now can also gain or be docked points to take wind conditions into account. The calculations are made by a series of computers linked to seven sensors along the in-run. "The athletes performance is removed from the influence of external conditions," said Hofer, pointing to a screen which showed the wind strength and direction from each sensor. The challenge for audiences is that the athlete who jumps the furthest does not always win. Alexander Pointner, head coach of the Austrian team, told Reuters that spectators should not have "to think What is this, that guy jumped so far but hes only fourth, whats that? Our sport should not be so difficult". Hofer has no intention of changing his mind. "Whatever makes ski jumping safer and fairer is worth it, even if sometimes you have to take something (away) from the transparency. People will understand sooner or later," he said. FIS is looking at whether it would be possible to shine a blue laser line on the snow to show the public exactly where a jumper has to land to take the lead, he added. Chester Marcol Jersey .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week. Dave Robinson Jersey . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators.Test series between India and England are rarely without incident. Ahead of the latest five-game instalment, which begins at 3.30am this Wednesday on Sky Sports 2HD, we look back at some previous flash-points…1976-77: The Vaseline Incident England travelled to Chennai with a 2-0 lead after thumping India in Delhi and Kolkata. In the furnace-like conditions, fast bowlers Bob Willis and John Lever were struggling to contain the sweat from running into their eyes.Physiotherapist Bernard Thomas suggested the two wear a strip of gauze across their eyebrows held in place with Vaseline to try and channel the sweat away from their eyes. Lever, who used the sweat from his brow to help shine the ball, found the gauze had made the ball too slippery and quickly removed it, placing it by the stumps. It was spotted by the umpires who, after discussions with both captains, reported it to the Indian cricket board. John Lever The ball and gauze were sent for testing and both were found to have traces of Vaseline on them. Beleaguered home captain Bishan Bedi, with a heavy series defeat on the cards, claimed the tourists had been using Vaseline all along and it was disgusting that England should stoop so low.No official action was taken against England.1988-89: The Cancelled TourAfter a disastrous home summer, England were scheduled to tour India in a five-Test series. Graham Gooch was selected as skipper to lead a youthful squad on their first trip to the country in five years. It proved to be a false start as Gooch and Northamptonshire batsman Rob Bailey were refused visas by the Indian foreign ministry for links to South Africa during apartheid. Graham Gooch was denied the chance to repeat his visit of 1981 India were angry that Gooch had never apologised for leading England during the rebel tour in 1982, while Bailey was on a UN blacklist for having been employed in South Africa. England wouldnt play Test cricket again until a home Ashes series the following summer.2007: Jelly BeansAn already sour Test at Trent Bridge turned ugly as Zaheer Khan strolled out to bat in Indias first innings. Leading by 266 runs, Zaheer arrived at the wicket to find jelly beans around his crease. After removing the sweets and playing the next ball, more jelly beans appeared on the pitch. A rogue jelly bean on the Trent Bridge outfield He accused Englands slip cordon of throwing the sweets at him and angrily waved his bat at Kevin Pietersen. The umpires were forced to step in and calm the players down. Skipper Michael Vaughan later apologised for the incident but it was Zaheer would have the last laugh, claiming nine wickets and man-of-the-match as India won the Test and the series.2008-09: Pie-chuckerWith Kevin Pietersenn at the helm, England returned to India to play a two-Test series. Sterling Sharpe Jersey. Having lost his wicket cheaply to Yuvraj Singh in a defeat at Chennai, Pietersen was once again removed by Yuvraj in Mohali, this time making 144 as England tried to level the series.  Yuvraj celebrates dismissing Pietersen in Chennai in 2008 Englands captain labelled Yuvraj a pie-chucker who bowled left-arm filth - Yuvraj responded in kind, laughing off the criticism and said Pietersen must be useless to be getting out to him.2014: James Anderson and Ravindra JadejaTrent Bridge was once again the scene for controversy in the latest meeting between the two sides. As lunch approached on day two of the first Test, James Anderson thought he had Ravindra Jadeja caught behind. Not getting the decision, Anderson let his feelings be known to Jadeja and would continue to do so as the players walked off the field.As they players made their way into the pavilion, India accused Anderson of abusing and pushing Jadeja, with England claiming Jadeja had stepped towards Anderson in an aggressive and threatening manner. Jadeja and Anderson had a spicy relationship during the series The players were charged with ICC offences, and despite Jadeja initially being fined 50 per cent of his match fee, both were eventually cleared.Botham will be part of our team in India for all five of the Tests between India and England live on Sky Sports 2, starting with the first Test from 3.30am on Wednesday 9th November.  Or watch the whole of the first Test for £10.99 with no contract, with a week pass from NOW TV. Watch all five Tests live on Sky Sports as Alastair Cooks side take on the No 1 side in the world Also See: How to Watch Ind v Eng Ind v Eng: Story of 2012 England in India homepage Live cricket on Sky ' ' '