After a two-week break, the FS Cross-Country World Cup will get underway again. World’s best Cross-Country skiers will meet in Östersund, in the Jämtland province for the final test before the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun.

The venue

Östersund is the host of many national and international winter sports events.
Many of Sweden´s leading Cross-Country skiers such as Anna Haag, Emma Wikèn, Ida Ingemarsdotter, Daniel Richardsson, Emil Jönsson, Lars Nelsson, Teodor Peterson and Anders Södergren live in Östersund and benefit from 89 km of Cross-Country tracks, the test-lab at the National Winter Sports Centre, which is a research institute branch of the Mid-Sweden University.

Östersund Ski Stadium has been developed over several decades and is Sweden’s official National Arena for Biathlon. A major boost was the 2008 Biathlon World Championships, when the arena was expanded with stands for 15,000 people and a new secretariat building.

Good snow conditions despite warm weather in the last days
Östersund is well known for its long and cold winters. Also this year organisers could take advantage of ideal conditions for snow production and all the competition tracks are prepared to welcome the athletes. However, warm weather with temperatures climbing to +6°C and strong wind has taken away most of the natural snow in the area.

“We have no concern about the snow conditions for the World Cup, but I have never experienced so big changes of weather. Ten days ago we had almost a meter of natural snow and now almost everything is gone,” Mathias Fredrikson says.

Spectators
Almost 25.000 of spectators are expected to visit the World Cup in Östersund. “The maximum capacity for Saturday is 10.000. On Sunday we have more spectator areas along the track and we hope to see 5.000 spectators more,” Mathias Fredrikson expects.

Competition programme
The competition programme for the weekend features the classic sprint on Saturday and Ladies 10 km F / Men 15 km F individual start on Sunday. The sprint course will take athletes closer than ever before. Having the start in the middle of the stadium, the first uphill will go directly through the grandstand. “I believe it will be something special,” says Mathias Fredriksson, former top Swedish athlete and now the leading person of the World Cup in Östersund.

Winners 1995

Ladies 30 km F – 07.01. 1995

1. Elena Vaelbe, RUS
2. Stefania Belmondo, ITA
3. Nina Gavriljuk, RUS

Men 30 km F - 08.01. 1995

1. Bjoern Daehlie, NOR
2. Alexei Prokourorov, RUS
3. Thomas Alsgaard, NOR