May 14, 2012 – Today we are introducing you another candidate to host FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 – Zakopane, Poland. Find out more about this potential host venue in the Q&A below.

Q: Why is Zakopane a candidate to host 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships? How many times have you run your bid?
Zakopane is the cradle of Polish skiing, which traditions go as far back as to over 120 years. Zakopane organized FIS World Championships three times (1929, 1939, 1962), Winter Universiade three times (1956, 1993, 2001), World and European Biathlon Championships, Biathlon World Juniors Championships, Speed Skating World Juniors Championships and World Cup, FIS European Cup in Womens’ Slalom, Ski Jumping World Cup (several times), Nordic Combined, Cross-Country and Slalom, Ski Jumping Continental Cups, Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix, FIS World Junior Championships in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. International competitions of various level are held here almost every year.

It is the fourth time that Zakopane, together with Polish Ski Federation and Tatra Ski Association, have begun making efforts to be granted the right to organize FIS Nordic World Championships in 2017.

Q: What makes you different from the other candidates?
The sports events, which have been hosted in Zakopane so far, have given a completely new quality to the concept of the atmosphere. Ski fans, enthusiasm and their admiration of the best athletes from all over the world is a unique phenomenon, which has developed in Zakopane during Ski Jumping World Cups and is always present at all the events organized at the foot of Mountain. It will be the same during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Zakopane 2017.

Q: What is the core of your bid? What would the Champs at your venue be like and what would people remember in 2027 about them?
Organization of big international winter sports events has had significant influence on the city development. Many new sports venues have been built, the accommodation and catering infrastructure has been developed, water-sewage system has been improved, new streets, roads and parking places have been built. Also tourism has greatly developed.

Zakopane has continuously aspired to be counted among the group of cities organizing world sports events. The crowning achievement of this aspiration was the submission of the city’s candidature for the organization of Winter Olympic Games in 2006 and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

Zakopane is also a significant center of culture – it is the cradle of interwar art bohemians. Outstanding musicians, writers and artists have settled and created here for years.

You can find more information at: www.wsc2017.zakopane.eu

April 09, 2012 – Justyna Kowalczyk underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at Warsaw clinic on March 20. “The recovery process has been going as planned so far but there is still some work to be done,” Kowalczyk wrote on her website www.justyna-kowalczyk.pl. The triple Tour de Ski winner spent Easter with her family, but on Monday she starts rehabilitation at Litwa sanatorium.

“Last year we returned from Kamchatka on Sunday evening before the Easter Monday. This year it’s the opposite,” Kowalczyk’s coach Alexander Wierietielny said. Kowalczyk will be rehabilitating in Druskienniki. “We had been here last year before we went to Kamchatka. They can boast of very good treatment. It’s not only about the knee. Also other parts of Justyna body need recovery after the season so that Justyna can take the training load,” her coach explained.

You can find more at www.justyna-kowalczyk.pl

June 13, 2011 – The FIS Cross-Country World Cup calendar for the upcoming season 2011/12 was finalized during the FIS Calendar Conference in Portoroz from 1st to 5th June, and confirmed by the FIS Council at its meeting in Ljubljana on 6th June. 19 World Cup venues are included in the season which will kick off in Beitostoelen, Norway on 19th November. The 6th Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear was confirmed with the dates from 29th December 2011 to 8th January 2012. In the season without a FIS World Championship and Olympic Winter Games, the FIS Tour de Ski will be carried out over 11 days with nine races in two countries.

Other highlights of the calendar include Russia with an event Moscow and the debut of Szklarska Poreba and Poland which will make their World Cup debut. The World Cup races there will be held on Friday and Saturday whilst on Sunday, the FIS World Uphill Trophy will be carried out. This is a unique race with about 3 km uphill and 3,5 km downhill on an alpine downhill slope and will not be a part of the World Cup. In addition, Milano will return to the World Cup calendar in January after having held a sprint for the first time in 1998.

In terms of rules changes, the most important ones include the renaming of the race format pursuit (classic & free technique combined race) to skiathlon in order to distinguish from the handicap races which are a type of a pursuit, too

To increase the excitement for the spectators in future team sprints, only two teams are directly qualified from the semi-final into the final (until now, three made the direct cut). To complete the field of 10 teams in the final, six teams will earn their spots in the final by virtue of their times.

Finally, to always have a field with the leading nations participating in all World Cup competitions, the five best (Ranking Team World Cup 2010/11) according to the gender ranking (Top 5 ladies’ teams: Norway, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Poland and top 5 men’s teams: Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy) have to start in all World Cup competitions during the season 2011/12, except for one FIS World Cup weekend.

May 05, 2011 – FIS has received nine applications to be Candidates for the organization of FIS World Championships in 2016 and 2017, including four applicants for the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. By the May 1st 2011 deadline, nine applicants submitted their candidacies as follows:

– One application for the 2016 FIS Ski Flying World Championships submitted by Kulm (AUT)

– Three applications for the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships submitted by Ǻre (SWE), Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA), and St. Moritz (SUI)

– Four applications for the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships submitted Lahti (FIN), Oberstdorf (GER), Planica (SLO) and Zakopane (POL)

– One application for combined 2017 FIS Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships submitted by Sierra Nevada (SPA)

“Just weeks after the successful 2011 editions, FIS is happy to witness the continuing interest for the organization of the FIS World Championships. This high number of applications by several nations and world’s premium resorts underlines their importance in the global sports calendar,” commented FIS President Gian Franco Kasper.

The FIS Council will elect the organizers of the 2016/2017 FIS World Championships during the 2012 Congress week in Gangwon Province (KOR) on 31st May 2012. Prior to that, each Candidate, together with its National Ski Association, will prepare its detailed concept by 1st September 2011 based on a specific FIS Questionnaire, containing details such as plans for sports organization, accommodation, transportation, logistics, security, media, communications, marketing, ceremonies, the environment, spectator services and fan experience.