August 11, 2011 (Aure and Kristiansund, Norway) – For the first time, FIS Roller Skiing World Championships are taking place in Norway. Aure and Kristiansund are hosting the world’s best roller skiing specialists as well as some of the top Cross-Country skiers during the event which got underway on Tuesday, 9th August 2011.

A total of 19 nations are participating in the World Championships, which take place parallel to the traditional Toppidrettsveka, a four-day competition series in endurance sports where many top cross-country athletes participate annually. Several of the world’s best Cross-Country skiers are starting in Aure and Kristiansund this year. Besides Petter Northug, Marit Bjoergen and Charlotte Kalla who are competing in the Roller Skiing World Championships, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna and Curdin Perl will be at the start during Toppidrettsvecka together with Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA), Anders Södergren (SWE), Pietro Piller Cottrer (ITA), Martin Koukal and Dusan Kozisek (both CZE). On the ladies’ side, the organizers expect world champion Therese Johaug, Vibeke Skofterud (both NOR) and Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN).

The World Championships program is fully packed from Tuesday until Saturday and it began with 10 km uphill mass start classical technique races. On Wednesday, the roller skiing specialists will fight for titles over 17 and 24 km long distance mass start free technique race distances. Thursday is a rest day in the Roller Skiing World Championships program. Meanwhile the other athletes will change to mountain bikes and race 35 km in the area surrounding Aure. Thursday will see a classical technique sprint title event on Thursday afternoon whilst Friday’s program is again fully packed with a 3 km running competition for the participants in the Toppidrettsveka, which is followed by a roller skiing pursuit race over 18 km. The roller skiing specialists have the championship relays on the schedule. The last titles will be decided on Saturday in the 200m sprint.

Tuesday’s opening race was fully controlled by host nation athletes. Oslo 2011 stars Marit Bjoergen and Petter Northug claimed gold medals in the opening race over 10 km mass start classic. Marit Bjoergen took the initiative right from the start. Only Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla and Sandra Hansson and Bjoergen’s compatriot Heidi Weng could follow the queen of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011. Marit Bjoergen claimed the title. Charlotte Kalla (SWE) won the silver medal having lost 20 seconds. Heidi Weng (NOR) rounded out the podium. On Wednesday, Kalla took the gold in the long distance race ahead of Weng.

In the men’s race, Petter Northug jumped right into racing action after the training camp in Oberhof (GER) and grabbed the gold medal. Northug climbed the last 1,800 m of the race at full speed to collect yet another world championship title, winning 15 sec ahead of the surprise silver medalist Ivan Marchenkov of Russia. Sweden’s roller skiing specialist Anders Svanebo claimed the bronze medal. In Wednesday’s long distance race, Northug claimed his second gold ahead of Svanebo.

Some of the world’s best Cross-Country skiers are participating in Aure and Kristiansund. Besides Petter Northug, Marit Bjoergen and Charlotte Kalla, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna and Curdin Perl will be at the start of Toppidrettsvecka together with Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA), Anders Södergren (SWE), Pietro Piller Cottrer (ITA), Martin Koukal and Dusan Kozisek (both CZE). On the ladies’ side, the organizers expect world champion Therese Johaug, Vibeke Skofterud (both NOR) and Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN).