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One month to go: GAP 2011

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, home town of Maria Riesch and Felix Neureuther, is looking forward to hosting the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships for the second time after its inaugural event in 1978. On 7th February 2011 there will be a spectacular opening ceremony, shown live on German television, where Alpine Skiing will be presented not only as a model of fair-play and friendship between the sporting rivals of today and of yesteryear, but also as a dynamic sport which is always capable of innovation. The whole opening ceremony, which will be free of charge for spectators, will be based around a unique projection technique which will use the out-run of the Ski Jumping hill as a giant white projection screen and have the largest video projectors currently available in the world.

"Exactly a month before the World Championships, we are perfectly in plan: the courses are currently being prepared, the temporary facilities such as the grandstands are in the process of being built and the construction for our innovative media center have also begun this week," says Peter Fischer, the CEO of the local Organizing Committee.

The only things missing so far, and our greatest wishes are nice weather, great atmosphere and top class athletic performances - a true festival in snow."
The Kandahar Arena will be the venue for the downhill, super-G, giant slalom and the nations' team event. The men can look forward to the new Kandahar with its 'Free Fall' section, whereas the ladies will start higher up compared to the FIS World Cup Finals in 2010. The start has been moved to the top of the steep Tröglhang slope, which gives an added jump over the Tröglhang tunnel.

The slalom and the super combined will be decided in the Gudiberg Arena. The old T-bar lift has made way for a new chair lift. The finish is no longer in the Olympic ski stadium - the course goes into a new slalom stadium at the foot of the Gudiberg, which guarantees exciting atmosphere for athletes and spectators alike.

The World Championships Park in the heart of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen will be an idyllic setting for atmospheric medal ceremonies in the evenings and a suitable setting for international musical theme nights and evening events for young people, featuring renowned German DJs - top entertainment for the athletes' many fans.

The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are the first winter sports event in Germany to be marked with an official German commemorative coin. Associated with it comes financial backing for a program of high-quality cultural events during the World Championships. A festival of films about skiing and exhibitions about skiing will form a significant part of the program. Sport and culture have gone hand in hand in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for decades. That's why the motto of the World Championships is 'Festspiele im Schnee - natürlich bayrisch' (Festival in the snow - the Bavarian way, naturally). The participants are warmly invited: the best way to travel is by train - arrival and departure within Bavaria is free if you buy a World Championships ticket.

For more information, visit www.gap2011.com

How to get there: Garmisch-Partenkirchen is served by the A95 Autobahn from Munich. It is on the Munich-Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway line as well as on the Mittenwald Railway (Garmisch-Mittenwald-Innsbruck). There are also connections to Reutte in Tirol / Kempten im Allgäu. Regional services run every hour to München Hauptbahnhof and Mittenwald and every two hours to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof and Reutte. In addition there are special seasonal long-distance services, including ICEs, to Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Bremen and Innsbruck.

The reigning 2009 World Champions from Val d'Isere (FRA)
Men
Downhill: John Kucera (CAN)
Super-G: Didier Cuche (SUI)
Giant slalom: Carlo Janka (SUI)
Slalom: Manfred Pranger (AUT)
Super Combined: Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)

Ladies
Downhill: Lindsey Vonn (USA)
Super-G: Lindsey Vonn (USA)
Giant slalom: Kathrin Hölzl (GER)
Slalom: Maria Riesch (GER)
Super Combined: Kathrin Zettel (AUT)
Team Event: cancelled due to inclement weather and heavy snowfall

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