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Cross-country world cup on track for March 2020

International cross-country skiing races coming to Canmore in March 2020

CANMORE – Everything is a go for the Cross Country Ski FIS World Cup’s season finale coming to Canmore in March 2020 according to organizers.

The Alberta World Cup Society (AWCS) announced Monday (July 22) the international cross-country skiing event is on track for its 2020 date following a successful pre-site visit by Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) officials to the Canmore Nordic Centre.

The event will bring in the world’s elite cross-country skiers to Canmore from March 19-22, and will feature the first-ever mixed relay.

“We have an excellent track record of bringing World Cup Cross-Country Ski events to Canmore, having held five FIS World Cups and two Para-Nordic World Cups since the 2005 Alberta Centennial World Cup,” said Norbert Meier, AWCS’ Events Chair, in a press release.

AWCS’ announcement comes following news the Canmore Nordic Centre will no longer host world cup and world championship biathlon events after the venue was not selected as a host site for the next three years. Organizers of the biathlon event said the loss of the events was due to the fact the biathlon facilities have not been upgraded since 1988 Calgary Olympics. Biathlon mixes cross-country skiing and target shooting with a rifle.

AWCS has hosted world cup cross-country skiing events at the Canmore Nordic Centre since 2005, with the last being in 2016.

“Our facilities continue to be among the best in the world and we appreciate the hard work done by the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park staff working with our event team to achieve the highest international standard of hosting excellence,” Meier said.

Sandra Spitz, FIS’ event coordinator cross-country, was pleased with the preparation the organizers have taken for the international event.

“The entire team around Greg Thompson [AWCS organizing committee chairman] did a great job and we feel very confident to see excellent competitions including the first ever mixed relay, as well as great events around the competitions at the Canmore Nordic Center” said Spitz, in a press release.

Thompson added: “The advance work done by our teams meant that we anticipated many of the FIS questions and I believe we’ve passed this test with flying colours.”

The season finale is set to feature the inaugural four-person mixed relay race on Sunday (March 22) – the final day of racing.

It will feature two men and two women per country racing in classic and skating technique.

Visit www.albertaworldcup.com for more information.


Jordan Small

About the Author: Jordan Small

An award-winning reporter, Jordan Small has covered sports, the arts, and news in the Bow Valley since 2014. Originally from Barrie, Ont., Jordan has lived in Alberta since 2013.
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