June 03, 2015 (Park City, Utah) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is making a formal bid for the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships and FIS U23 World Cross Country Championships. The event will be awarded to a host city during annual FIS Calendar Conference meetings, taking place June 3-8 in Varna, Bulgaria. The USSA is putting forward a joint bid with Utah’s Olympic venues including the Utah Olympic Park in Park City and Soldier Hollow in Midway. The event also has the support of the Utah Sports Commission.

The venues in the Park City and Heber City area have supported development and Olympic level athletes for well over a decade. Utilized during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the Utah Olympic Park and the Soldier Hollow are consistently maintained and used for training and competitions throughout the season.

“The Solider Hollow Legacy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation have provided exceptional support for events of this caliber,” said USSA Vice President, Events Calum Clark. “Both entities are surrounded by communities passionate about winter sport and are ideal candidates for this event.”

Nordic Junior World Championship events include cross country, ski jumping and nordic combined and were last hosted by the United States at Lake Placid in 1986 with ski jumping (cross country has never been held in the USA). The Junior Worlds bring in over 400 athletes from 30 nations to compete in 17 events across the three disciplines. The event is held in parallel with the U23 Worlds in cross country.

“Soldier Hollow has played host to competitors of all ages from around the world and our nation. The partnership with Utah Olympic Park for Junior Worlds is important to our Olympic legacy,” said Richard Hodges, Executive Director at Solider Hollow Legacy Foundation. “This will be a tremendous opportunity for our U.S. junior skiers to compete on the world stage inside the United States.”

Highlights

– The USSA is making a formal bid for the FIS 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships and FIS U23 World Cross Country Championships.
– The bid is being put forward in conjunction with Utah’s Olympic venues including the Utah Olympic Park in Park City and Soldier Hollow in Midway.
– Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow have hosted hundreds of successful events since the 2002 Winter Games including numerous World Cups, World Championships, National Championships and the highly praised 2014 Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined Olympic Trials.
– The event will be awarded to a host city during annual FIS Calendar Conference meetings, taking place June 3-8 in Varna, Bulgaria.

Quotes

Calum Clark, Vice President, Events, USSA
The Soldier Hollow Legacy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation have provided exceptional support for events of this caliber. Both entities are surrounded by communities passionate about winter sport and are ideal candidates for this event.

Richard Hodges, Executive Director, Solider Hollow Legacy Foundation
Soldier Hollow has played host to competitors of all ages from around the world and our nation. The partnership with Utah Olympic Park for Junior Worlds is important to our Olympic legacy. This will be a tremendous opportunity for our U.S. Junior skiers to compete on the world stage inside the United States.

Marc Norman, Vice President Sports and Venues, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation supports the bid for the 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships and U23 World Ski Championships Cross Country. The bid exemplifies Utah’s successful utilization of Olympic legacy venues. The Utah Olympic Park is dedicated to hosting world-class sport competitions and providing athletes a state-of-the-art training venue.