FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 will take place between February 18 and March 1, 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic. This is the fourth time these championships have been hosted either in the Czech Republic or in Czechoslovakia, having done so at Janské Lázně (1925) and Vysoké Tatry (both in 1935 and 1970). The city was selected 11-4 over Oslo, Norway at the 2004 FIS Congress in Miami, Florida, USA on June 3, 2004. The schedule for the competition was approved at the FIS Council meeting in Portorož, Slovenia during the weekend of May 25-28, 2007. [FIS Newsflash Edition 130. June 6, 2007]

Competition format changes

Women's ski jumping will become an official event for the first time at these championships on the normal hill which will take place on February 20. [http://www.liberec2009.com/_data/files/File/Timetable_2008_24_09.pdf September 24, 2008 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 detailed schedule] - accessed October 10, 2008.] Cross country skiing events will have its classical interval start events adjusted to have a 5 km qualification event for women and a 10 km qualification for men for the women's 10 km and men's 15 km event. These events will take place February 18-20. Nordic combined will have the greatest changes in it schedule with the debut of the 10 km mass start and the replacement of the 7.5 km sprint and 15 km individual Gundersen events with two separate 10 km individual events.FIS Newsflash 200. October 8, 2008.] The first event, replacing the 15 km Gundersen, will be a single jump from the individual normal hill followed by a 10 km cross country event using the Gundersen system while the second event, replacing the 7.5 km sprint, will be a single jump from the individual large hill followed by a 10 km cross country event also using the Gundersen system. The Nordic combined changes were approved at a fall meeting in Zurich, Switzerland the week of September 29, 2008.

Organization

The original organizing committee was headed by Roman Kumpošt. Czech cross country skier and six-time Winter Olympic medalist Kateřina Neumannová was originally an honorary vice president of the organizing committee. On July 25, 2007, Neumannová was appointed as the new president of the organizing committee as apporved by the organizing committee. She also served as a World Cup organizer for the second of the Tour de Ski events that took place in Prague on December 30, 2007. [FIS Newsflash 138. August 1, 2007.] During the week of August 13, 2007, a delegation visited the FIS headquarters in Oberhofen, Switzerland and met with FIS president Gian Franco Kasper. This delegation included Liberec Mayor Juri Kittner, Organizing Committee Secretary Marek Rejman, Czech Ski Association president Luka Sobotka, and its General Secretary Norbert Pelc, and all four confirmed the work toward the sites to be used for the championships are proceeding as planned with test events to occur in February 2008. Financing issues for the event were also clarified. The next scheduled update occurred at the FIS Autumn Meeting in Zurich during the week of September 24, 2007. [FIS Newsflash 141. August 22, 2007.] FIS Newsflash 147. October 3, 2007.] Progress was given by Organizing President Neumannová and Executive Director Marek Rejman while at Zurich, including updates on the venues (shown in the next section), and focusing on the sports organization (including the technical directors); and the marketing and promotion of the test events. Liberec has also confirmed their support of the governmental financing for the university campus which will serve as the village for the teams in 2009. FIS President Gian Franco Kasper stated that the first test weekend of February 8-9, 2008 "... went well" in terms of sports organization.FIS Newsflash 166. February 13, 2008] Kasper also expressed concerns about the cost for accommodation for skiing officials and media for the upcoming events. A spring coordination meeting was held the week of April 7, 2008 that discussed preparations for the event.FIS Newsflash 175. April 16, 2008.] Among the participants were FIS, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and marketing partner APF, whom focused on lessons learned from the test events held in February 2008. Coordination group members were pleased in what transpired during the February 2008 test events, including an athletes village being constructed at the local university. Final competition schedule was confirmed by the FIS Council in its May 2008 meeting in Cape Town, followed by a final inspection on October 13, 2008. After final inspection on the 13th, which will welcome 80-100 media, ski industry, and local organizing committee repesrentatives in Liberic, the 2008 Forum Noridcum, an annual meeting of the Union of Nordic Ski Journalists will take place.FIS Newsflash 199. October 1, 2008.] The event will also focus on biathlon and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Media accreditation

Media accreditation is available online and will be until October 17, 2008. [FIS NewsFlash 198. September 24, 2008.]

Mascot

The mascot was announced by the Organizing Committee during the week of June 30, 2008.FIS Newsflash 187. July 9, 2008.] It is a lion named LIBI and it made its first appearance in the Czech Republic with Organizing President Neumannová and Czech Republic prime minister Mirek Topolánek at a meeting that week.

Venues

At a coordination group meeting on April 18-19, 2007 in Liberec, the event and facility preparations were discussed. A review was also done for what could be done better from the previous World Championships in Sapporo earlier that year. According to FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis, she was pleased about the construction progress of both Ještěd (ski jumping) and Vessec (cross country skiing) and both venues will be used as test events for the upcoming World Cup season. Organizing Committee chair Kumpošt stated that both venues must be completed by this fall in order to ensure FIS certification. Also in attendance was the EBU and the organizing committee for the 2011 Championships in Oslo. [FIS Newsflash 124. April 25, 2007.]

Cross country skiing

The cross country skiing venue will take place at Vesec which currently has two 3.75 km loops. These loops were shortened to 3.3 km and 2.5 km, and then combined. Four additional loops of 1.2 km (women's sprint), 1.3 km (men's sprint), 5 km, and 7.5 km were also created. At the fall 2007 meeting in Zurich during the week of September 24, 2007, it was announced that Vesec had completed paving the courses for roller skiing and in-line skating, finalization of bridges, access roads, and permanent facilities; and installing snow-making equipment. The test event for cross country occurred during the weekend of February 15-17, 2008. Because of warm weather and the lack of snow, the organizing committee was forced to bring snow from the mountains surrounding Liberec. As a result, the races were held on the paved roller skiing track. Initially on the 16th they were scheduled to be pursuit events, but were changed to interval start events. [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?cal_suchsector=CC&event_id=24287 Cross country skiing 2008 test events at Liberec.] - accessed February 16, 2008.] The winner of the 10 km women's event was Norway's Astrid Jacobsen [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=CC&raceid=13816 Women's 10 km results from Liberec test event] - accessed February 16, 2008.] while the winner of the 15 km men's event was Jean Marc Gaillard of France. [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=CC&raceid=13817 Men's 15 km results from Liberec test event.] - accessed February 16, 2008.] Team sprint winners on the 17th were both from Norway with the ladies going to Marit Bjørgen and Astrid Jacobsen [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2008/CC/2155/2008CC2155RL.pdf Women's team sprint test event results from Liberec.] - accessed February 17, 2008.] and the men going to Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Simen Østensen [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2008/CC/2156/2008CC2156RL.pdf Men's team sprint test event results from Liberec.] - accessed February 17, 2008.]

ki jumping

The ski jumping venue will take place at Ještěd which has two hills that are already to FIS specifications. The normal hill size (HS) is 100 m (HS100) while the large hill size is 134 m (HS134). Both hills have been used for FIS ski jumping World Cup venues with Finnish ski jumper Janne Ahonen holding the record jump of 139 m on the HS134 hill back in 2004. Modifications are being done to the outrun and data is being gathered on the wind flow within the ski jumping area from January to March for 2006 to 2009. At the fall 2007 meeting in Zurich during the week of September 24, 2007, it was announced by the Organizing Committee that construction was proceeding according to schedule, with completion in mid-December 2007. The test event for Jested took place on February 8-9, 2008. A grandstand of 10,000 spectators was constructed in order to have night time ski jumping the weekend of February 9-10, 2008.FIS Newsflash 165. February 6, 2008.] The hill suffered a landslide caused by continuous rainfall around the hill during the week of January 28, 2008, but the outrun was not affected by the event, according to Liberec mayor Jiri Kittner. Organizing Committee president Katerina Neumannová on February 1 also stated that the ski jumping events will take place as schedule. The lift to the ski jump that was not working during the FIS World Cup B Nordic combined event in January was fixed. The winners of the ski jumping test event at the HS134 hill were Thomas Morgenstern of Austria on the 8th [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2008/JP/3024/2008JP3024RL.pdf Liberec HS134 results from February 8, 2008] - accessed February 9, 2008.] and Anders Jacobsen of Norway on the 9th. [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2008/JP/3025/2008JP3025RL.pdf Liberec HS134 results from February 9, 2008] - accessed February 9, 2008.]

Nordic combined

The nordic combined events will use both venues listed for cross country skiing and ski jumping. The test event for Nordic combined will occur during the weekend of February 15-17, 2008. Because of the lack of snow and warm weather prior to the test event, the schedule for the test event was adjusted to the sprint event on the 15th, the Gundersen event on the 16th, and the sprint qualification event on the 17th. The sprint event on the 15th was cancelled to changing winds. [FIS Newsflash 167. February 20, 2008.] Meanwhile the Gundersen event on the 16th was changed to a mass start event won by Norway's Petter Tande. [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2008/NK/4104/2008NK4104ROF.pdf Liberec 10 km mass start results.] - accessed February 16, 2008.] Two unsuccessful attempts at the ski jumping part of the sprint qualification event to high winds on the 17th resulted in the event's cancellation. [ [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/home-page.html?actu_id_1127=728&actu_page_1127=1 February 17, 2008 FIS-Ski.com news on the day's results from the test events at Liberec, including the nordic combined sprint qualification event's cancellation.] - accessed February 17, 2008.]

Tipsport arena

The Tipsport arena in Liberec will be used as the operational center for the championships. This will include accreditation for the athletes, location of the organizing committee support staff, an international media center, and individual race offices.

Men's cross country

Individual sprint freestyle

February 24, 2009. Jens Arne Svartedal of Norway is defending champion.

15 km + 15 km double pursuit

February 22, 2009. Germany's Axel Teichmann is defending champion.

Women's cross country

Individual sprint freestyle

February 24, 2009. Norway's Astrid Jacobsen is the defending champion.

7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit

February 21, 2009. Russia's Olga Zavyalova is the defending champion.

Men's Nordic combined

10 km individual normal hill

February 21, 2009. Formerly the 15 km Individual Gundersen, the event will now entail one jump from the normal hill followed by the 10 km cross country race using the Gundersen system. Ronny Ackermann of Germany is three-time defending champion when the event was the 15 km Gundersen.

4 × 5 km freestyle team

February 26, 2009. The Finnish team of Anssi Koivuranta, Janne Ryynänen, Jaakko Tallus and Manninen are the defending champions.

Team large hill

February 28, 2009. The Austrian team of Wolfgang Loitzl, Gregor Schlierenzauer, Andreas Kofler, and Thomas Morgenstern are the defending champions.

Women's ski jumping

Individual normal hill

February 20, 2009

Medal table

*To be added as the championships progress.

References

External links

* [http://www.liberec2009.com 2009 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships official website] cs icon, en icon, & de icon
* [http://fis-ski.com/data/document/liberec1.pdf 2007 competition schedule] - Accessed June 7, 2007.
* [http://www.liberec2009.com/_data/files/File/Timetable_2008_24_09.pdf September 24, 2008 competition schedule] - Accessed October 10, 2008.