Lindsey Vonn trains on Vail's Golden Peak race arena, where additional women's World Cup events will take place this December. (photo: Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts)
World Cup

Additional World Cup Races to Take Place at Vail/Beaver Creek This December

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Oberhofen, Switzerland – As has become its tradition since 2003, the International Ski Federation (FIS) Council held its Gathering in conjunction with the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Schladming on Tuesday morning. It is an opportunity for the FIS leadership to have a strategic and general discussion about the direction of the organization, with the possibility to take decisions if needed. The meeting takes places alternately at the Nordic and Alpine Championships.

At its Autumn Meeting in Oberhofen, the Council rejected the women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup calendar for the 2013-14 season as there was only one weekend of racing scheduled in Central Europe before Christmas.

Lindsey Vonn trains on Vail's Golden Peak race arena, where additional women's World Cup events will take place this December. (file photo: Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts)
Lindsey Vonn trains on Vail’s Golden Peak race arena, where additional women’s World Cup events will take place this December. (file photo: Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts)

The Vail-Beaver Creek Organizers and the United States Ski and Snowboard Association have now accepted organizing a full test program for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2015, including competitions in speed and tech events on the new ladies’ course from Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2013. This has enabled amendments to the women’s 2013-14 race calendar, including St. Moritz, Switzerland on its traditional dates of Dec. 13-14, adding Courchevel, France on Dec. 17, just before Val d’Isere, and allowing the stop in Åre, Sweden, to take place on its usual date in March.

The men’s races in Beaver Creek will still take place on first full weekend in December, as is customary.

“We believe we have now found an optimal calendar for the ladies next season,” commented Atle Skaardal, FIS Chief Race Director for the women’s World Cup. “The new program in Beaver Creek will give us a great test for the Championships, whilst we can benefit from the early season snow security in St. Moritz in December and add Courchevel, which has become a premium ladies’ event. We particularly appreciate the massive efforts of the Vail-Beaver Creek Organizing Committee and the support of Vail Resorts and the USSA to commit themselves to this big event over Thanksgiving, and are confident that their huge experience with highly successful men’s events will enable them to deal with this additional challenge of earlier than usual race dates.”

The Council also accepted the provisional membership application from the Commonwealth of Dominica, subject to the approval of the FIS Congress in 2014.

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