The programme starts on Friday, 5th December with sprint free. Stage 2 will be Ladies 5 km F and Men 10 km F individual start. Winners of the Lillehammer stage-event will be determined on Sunday after the classic pursuit competitions.

Challenging snow conditions
The Organizing Committee has had challenging snow conditions, which is similar to last year. The OC started to produce snow at the Birkebeiner ski stadium on Saturday. With the temperature is around 0 °C, the snow production in the arena has been temporarily stopped. Additionally the OC has produced snow in the mountains in Nordseter and has snow storage from the last winter. “We start putting the stored snow on the courses today. We have a compressed snow base layer on the stadium and courses and we are sure to have to very good snow conditions for the World Cup,” head of the OC Eiliv Furuli says.

Ski festival
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Lillehammer is not going to be only about great sporting performances. Organizers have prepared a World Cup party that starts in downtown Lillehammer on Thursday evening, with an opening show.

“We have improved the programme and spectators services,” Furuli reveals. The OC has prepared big new spectators tents, free shuttle services from downtown Lillehammer to the venues during all three competition days. “When the audience comes down from the Birkebeiner stadium, the ski jumping competition on the large hill will start.

Spectators will have a chance to experience great entertainment and activities both at the Cross-Country venue and at the hill,” Furuli explains. The day will be concluded with a torchlight World Cup path to the city center where the Cultural Night will continue with a with different music elements, entertainment, food, campfire and other activities.

Green Light for Nordic Combined WCup
The first competition weekend of the season is history and now the Nordic Combined World Cup is off to its second stop: Lillehammer, Norway. From the snow side of things, everything is looking good for the next competitions.

The snow production for the jumping hill is complete and the hills are open for unofficial training in the next days leading up to the World Cup. The Nordic Combined cross-country track is also finished and prepared with a mix of produced snow and snow from the storage and will open for the first unofficial training at December, 3rd.

In spite of the warm start of the winter without snow, the cold temperatures set in just in time for the World Cup preparations: „The last cold period was exactly what we needed,“ OC Chief Eiliv Furuli explains. „Now snow is produced in the jumping hills and also at Birkebeineren Skistadium at the same time as we fetched the snow from where it was stored last winter. Of course we had been a little nervous but it just worked out very well, just like last year. There is still a lot that has to be done now but the most important thing is secure: the snow. Now we breathe a little easier.“

Competition program
Friday, 5th December
11:00 LOC Qualification L/M Sprint Free
13:30 LOC Finals L/M Sprint Free

Saturday, 6th December
10:15 LOC Ladies 5 km Free
13:00 LOC Men 10 km Free

Sunday, 7th December
10:15 LOC Ladies 10 km Pursuit Classic
12:00 LOC Men 15 km Pursuit Classic

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