May 24, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Canada’s medal-winning cross-country ski athletes will be hosting the best nordic skiers on the globe for two World Cup events in December 2012, pending final contractual negotiations with both local organizing committees and formal approval by the FIS Cross Country Committee, Cross Country Canada announced on Tuesday.

The Canmore Nordic Centre, which is the home training centre for Canada’s National Ski Team, will host its fourth series of World Cup races since 2005, while Quebec City will host elite cross-country ski racing at the World Cup level for the first time at a a high profile downtown venue that is expected to capture the interest of the skiing world. Canmore also hosted the World Junior Championships in 1997.

“These two Nordic hotbeds, albeit very different, offer Canadian athletes world-class training environments and venues that will challenge the top cross-country ski athletes in the world,” said Davin MacIntosh, Executive Director of Cross Country Canada. “The Canmore Nordic Centre has consistently staged very successful FIS World Cup events and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our sport for the first time near a major urban site in Quebec.”

Theworld’s best will kick off its Canadian trail in Quebec City for the first weekend of racing. Athletes will then travel to Canmore, Alberta for a mid-week race, followed by two more races on the weekend.

“Racing in downtown Quebec City which, I believe is one of the prettiest cities in the world, will be amazing,” said Alex Harvey, who assisted with Quebec’s bid to host the event, and teamed up with Devon Kershaw to become the first Canadians ever to win a gold medal at the World Championships this year. “Racing World Cups at home is crucial to develop the next generation of skiers. Kids need to see the best in the world to get inspired. I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to race a World Cup at home.”

The Alberta Government injected more than $26 million into the Canmore Nordic Centre in 2004-06 to make it one of the best World Cup venues in the world. The restoration project has resulted in the Centre hosting three successful World Cups where Canadian athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Chandra Crawford, have combined to win five medals.

“The Canmore Nordic Centre really is the best in the world for hosting World Cup races. From the facilities and services available for athletes, to the course layout, to the organization of the overall event, it is amazing,” said Crawford, who was inspired to be an Olympian while watching elite level racing in her hometown of Canmore. “World Cups at home are such an important vehicle for developing our sport. It provides Canadian athletes with a competitive advantage, inspires kids to get involved in sport, and allows us to share the excitement of racing with the community that supports our training year-round.”

Theorganizing committee for the Quebec World Cup stop is in the midst of a feasibility study funded by the Quebec Government to overhaul Mont Saint Anne, and turn it into a world-class training and competition site.

“Hosting World Cup races in Canada also provides many of our young athletes the opportunity to gain some much-needed World Cup experience,” said MacIntosh, who added Cross Country Canada will host the 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals in Quebec as a test event for the World Cup. “Hosting the world at the elite level is a critical component to growing our sport across the country, and we hope Canadians will join us in what promises to be an entertaining couple of weeks of racing.”

Canadian athletes have taken full advantage of competing in World Cups on home snow. In 2005, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner won six medals during World Cup races at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Centre and Canmore Nordic Centre. Chandra Crawford won a gold medal in the sprint event at the 2008 World Cup in Canmore, while Sara Renner won a bronze medal in sprint racing at the 2010 World Cup in Canmore, which was the final event before the Olympic Winter Games.  Proposed race formats will be confirmed by the Federation International de Ski (FIS) in early June at meetings in Portoroz, Slovenia.