When athletes are asked about what keeps them going in a tough race, crowd spirit is the one factor that they always point
to! Ski-VM 2011 is planning a special 'Spectator Spirit Project' to keep the energy of the crowd keen between events and
make sure there is an unforgettable mood at the Nordic Ski World Championships.
This weekend it is time for the Continental Cup (CoC) in Midtstubakken. Follow the latest news about the start lists, results
and other information about the event.
When the ski-jumping boys came to their first proper competition in the new Midstubakken ahead of next year’s World Championships, the girls stole the show.
Daniele Iraschko from Austria is currently in her own league among the ski jumping women. In Continental Cup 17 - 19 September
2010 in Oslo the 26-year old won both competitions.
Bjørn Einar Romøren jumped a great 106,5 m in the final round, and won Continental Cup 19 September with Austrian Michael
Hayboeck in second and Slovenian Jure Sinkovec in third.
The Soria Moria Hotel won the "Enough of the right food" competition held during the trial World Cup. "We appreciate the great
effort made by all the hotels toward our food project. Getting enough of the right food is essential for athletes" says Bente
Rafen-Sparby, hotel and hosting manager in Ski-VM 2011.
"This is a great day, we have looked forward to it for a long time. We are impressed by Oslo Municipality’s construction project
at Holmenkollen, the Holmenkollen National Arena will be fantastic," says Svein Aaser, chairman of the WSC 2011 board.
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 will be the biggest public event in Norway since the Olympics in Lillehammer in
1994. This, combined with a brand new ski arena, means that WSC 2011 is now focusing on spectator flow. Leading experts from
Britain have been helping.
In order to provide the public with the best possible experience, the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 has appointed
a dedicated spectator manager. Jørgen Aass has general responsibility for coordination and quality assurance of all services
and measures for and towards the public.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has now approved the programme of 21 events for the World Ski Championships in 2011.
FIS has also decided to approve the fourth Nordic combined competition (normal hill ski jump and 4x5km cross-country), which
will make these World Championships an even better spectacle for the public.
Norwegian ski jumpers have signed a partnership agreement with the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. - If we can help to
make the World Ski Championships on our home turf in Oslo an even better event, it will be an honour for us, says Bjørn Einar
Romøren.
To conclude the recruitment of volunteers for the FIS Nordic World Cup, the applicant portal has now been closed. Everyone
who has applied will be receiving replies by e-mail, but with nearly 1,600 applicants, some will not get feedback until just
before Christmas.
The World Ski Championships 2011 will be the biggest travel event in the Oslo region for many decades. All hotel rooms in
Oslo will be full. Thue & Selvaag Forum of the Gyro Group will handle hotel bookings for all accredited WSC guests. The agreement
between Thue & Selvaag Forum and WSC 2011 involves about 70,000 room nights.
The OXLO conference, with its focus on diversity and integration, this year has big international sporting events as one of
its many themes. Both the London Olympics in 2012 and the World Ski Championships in 2011 are on the programme on 23 September.
John Aalberg (49) will take up the position of Director of Sports of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in April
2010. “I am fantastically pleased and proud. John knows more than anyone else in the world about big, international events
in the Nordic ski disciplines,” says Åsne Havnelid, CEO of WSC 2011.
The Secretary General of the FIS, Sarah Lewis, thinks it is great that Oslo is getting both a completely new ski arena at
Holmenkollen and a new metro system for the World Championships in 2011.
As of the 1st of May, former top athlete Espen Bjervig will be Ski-VM 2011’s new Director of Sports. As well as having been
a top-level cross-country skier, he also has managerial training and experience.
Efficient transporting of spectators and participants is a very important part of a successful World Championship event. This
is why the Ski-VM 2011 has established a transport group consisting of central resource persons. The working group is on track.
“This will become a wonderful building, which will provide unique possibilities for marketing Holmenkollen, the Nordic World
Ski Championships and Oslo as a winter capital, as well as spreading enthusiasm for skiing in general”, Åsne Havnelid says.
To Ski-VM 2011, the demolition of the Holmenkollen jump tower was not a sad but a joyful day. “We look forward to having a
new, spectacular ski jump and a wonderful arena which we may enjoy for several years to come. We are very excited about hosting
the World Ski Championships here”, Åsne Havnelid, the CEO of Ski-VM 2011, says.
FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis is very happy with the progress made and the work put into the 2011 Nordic World Ski Championships.
She feels that the organisational development, the division of tasks and the construction work at Holmenkollen are all on
track.
On the 21st of April, a coordination meeting with FIS was held here in Oslo. Present were representatives of the Local Organisation
Committee (LOC), the Executive Board of Ski-VM 2011 AS, the Norwegian Ski Federation, the Federation for the Promotion of
Skiing, Oslo Municipality, EBU and NRK.
The World Nordic Ski Championships 2011 needs 2500 to 3000 volunteers to make the event possible, and in that connection the
WSC organisation invited volunteers to a social gathering at Oslo City Hall. The turnout exceeded all expectations, and got
the future recruiting work off to a very good start.
Before the World Cup event at Holmenkollen in March, a preparedness exercise was put on for the WC organisation, with race
administrators, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Chief Press Officer, medical personnel and other collaborating
partners. Ski-VM 2011’s organisation observed the exercise, which was led by Roy Evensen.
In 2011, Ski-VM will need nearly 3000 volunteers – to spread enthusiasm and winter joy. The anniversary seminar, “Fri til
frivillige”, at Folkets Hus on the 4th of March, was not only a successful information meeting, but also a kick-start for
the recruitment of volunteers for the Nordic World Ski Championship in three years time.
On the 25th of May 2006, Norway and Oslo were awarded the Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 at the FIS Congress held in
the Portuguese city of Vilamoura. Norway received 12 out of 16 votes, thereby beating Zakopane in Poland and Val di Fiemme
in Italy.
The World Ski Championships is not ”just” a ski race at Kollen, but also an event of national and international interest.
This is also why the Executive Group was very happy when Per-Arne Tuftin, Director of Tourism at Innovation Norway, agreed
to join the strategy process.
On November 13th, a FIS Coordination Group Meeting was held at Holmenkollen Park Hotel. The Executive Group of Ski-VM 011,
the Executive Board, the City of Oslo, The Norwegian Ski Federation, The Federation for promotion of Skiing and NRK were all
represented.
The Bidding Committee for the WSC Nordic Disciplines in Falun 2013 has been on a two day visit to Oslo. During this time they
had meetings with the Norwegian Ski Federation, the Federation for the Promotion of Skiing and the local authorities in Oslo
– to learn from those who have already secured a future WSC on home ground.
On the last weekend of November, the cross country world elite gathered for the World Cup at Beitostølen. The participants,
spectators, courses and snow production facilities received a lot of positive feedback following the event. The Executive
Group of Ski-VM was present as observers during the whole weekend.
