The annual Holmenkollen Nordic World Cup weekend with competitions in all the Nordic disciplines will take place from 8th- 9th March, for the last time in the old stadium. The Organizing Committee of the World Championships 2011 will start to rebuild the stadium with the Cross-Country tracks and the Ski Jumping hills after this winter season. Traditionally the Cross-Country athletes will compete over a distance of 30 km (ladies) and 50 km (men). This year the races, which are the 38th and 39th Cross-Country World Cup competitions in Oslo, will be held in the free technique.
For the third time, the FIS will trial the pit stop with the possibility of ski change in the stadium, what means that the ladies have the possibility to chance their skis once and the men, two times.
“The snow conditions in Oslo are good, the required preparation in the stadium and on the first kilometer will be done with artificial snow from the Drammen Ski area “Konnerud”, but in the woods we have good snow conditions and the long loop, the 16,7 km course will be ready for the competitions on Saturday,” says Jürg Capol FIS Race Director Cross-Country.
The famous Holmenkollen races are always a festival for the Norwegians. Many of them, from young children to the grandparents, stay in the woods in tents the night before and cheer all athletes to a top performance during the day.
More information:
http://www.holmenkollen-worldcup.no/en Starting times: Saturday, 8th March
Interval start race 30 km,F ladies 9.45h*
Interval start race 50 km F men 12.15h*
*local time
Top three in March 200730 km C ladies
1. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (FIN)
2. Virpi Kuitunen (FIN)
3. Petra Majdic (SLO)
50 km C men
1. Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset (NOR)
2. Tobias Angerer (GER)
3. Frode Estil (NOR)
Top three in March 200630 km F ladies
1. Julija Tchepalova (RUS)
2. Katerina Neumannova (CZE)
3. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle (GER)
50 km F men
1. Anders Soedergren (SWE)
2. Giorgio Di Centa (ITA)
3. Tom Reichelt (GER)