The Lahti Ski Games (Salpausselänkisat) will be held for the 83rd time this year with a full Nordic World Cup Program (Cross-Country, Ski-Jumping and Nordic Combined). The event will take place from 29th February to 2nd March. Within the Viessmann FIS World Cup Cross-Country, the athletes will compete in a free technique Sprint on Saturday and will race an interval start race over 10 km (ladies) and 15 km (men) in the classical technique on Sunday.
The Karpalo sprint track will be modified from last year's competitions. The changes take place at the stadium area, as athletes head first from the start towards the Lahti-Curve before going to Karpalo area. This change means that the track is more demanding and 150 m longer than earlier (men 1550 m and women 1400 m).
At the moment, four kilometers of competition tracks have already been covered with artificial snow, and the covering of the last kilometer started at the end of last week, when there was a period of frosty weather in Lahti. "When the entire 5 km is covered, final preparations will be done. This means that the Lahti Cross Country tracks will be ready for training and competitions when athletes arrive at Lahti" says chief of course, Pekka Utter.
But not only the sport is in the center on this weekend. The Finnish Ski Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary this winter and the celebrations kick off a day before the 83rd Lahti Ski Games with the official gala reception and concert. During the weekend the spectators will also have a lot of side programs, for example an international motor show and the Lahti-by-night festival on Saturday evening.
Includes contributions by OC Lahti
More information: http://www.lahtiskigames.com
Starting times:Saturday, 1st March
Sprint F ladies/men Qualification 10.30h* (9.30h CET)
Sprint F ladies/ men Finals 13.00h* (12.00h CET)
Sunday, 2nd March
10 km interval start C ladies 10.30h* (9.30h CET)
15 km interval start C men 12.45h* (11.45h CET)
*local time
Top three from last March:Sprint F ladies
1. Virpi Kuitunen (FIN)
2. Riitta Liisa Roponen (FIN)
3. Anna Dahlberg (SWE)
Sprint F men
1. Petter Northug (NOR)
2. Jens Arne Svartedal (NOR)
3. Eldar Roenning (NOR)
Interval start C ladies
1. Kristina Smigun (EST)
2. Olga Savialova (RUS)
3. Viola Bauer (GER)
Interval start C men
1. Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset (NOR)
2. Eldar Roenning (NOR)
3. Tobias Angerer (GER)