FIS MEDIA INFO: 39th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships begin on FIS's 83rd anniversary

Åre, February 2, 2007/ -- The 39th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will commence in Åre (SWE) today. FIS President Gian Franco Kasper will officially open the event at the Åre Town Square (Medal Plaza) at 19 CET.

“We are very pleased to see these Championships to begin after six years of meticulous planning and preparation by the experienced organizers, the Swedish Ski Association, as well as Swedish Television, the host broadcaster. We look forward to a wonderful festival of sports and hope for the best with the weather,” says FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. “After a challenging early winter, we are happy to have more than enough snow here in Åre and given the excellent course preparation, have no fear about the weather.”

All in all, 446 athletes – 168 ladies and 278 men - representing 62 nations will be participating at the second FIS Alpine World Ski Championships ever held in Sweden; the first ones took place in 1954. Up to 100'000 spectators and several hundred million television viewers are expected to follow the more than 600 hours of coverage from the Championships; more than 1500 media will be on-site to report on the event.

A total of 33 FIS World Championships medals will be awarded as the competition schedule includes five ladies' and five men's events as well as the co-ed nations' team event. The nations' team event will be staged for the second time at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Åre whilst the super combined (DH and one-run slalom) will replace the traditional combined format for the first time. Also a premiere, there will be a qualification for the men's giant slalom: the best 50 registered athletes are pre-qualified while the others will race in the qualification for the remaining 25 starting places. The competitions will begin with the men's super-G on Saturday, 3rd February, followed by the super-G for the ladies on Sunday, 4th February, 2007. Both of the reigning 2005 super-G champions, Bode Miller (USA) and Anja Paerson (SWE), will be at start.

February 2nd is an important date for the International Ski Federation (FIS). 98 years ago, on 2nd February, 1909, at the international skiing competitions at Morez (FRA), Durban Hansen, Norwegian trainer, issued an invitation on behalf of his National Association for a Ski Congress to be held in Christiania (NOR) with the aim of setting up an International Federation for skiing. 83 years ago, in 1924, the International Ski Federation was officially founded on February 2nd during the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix (FRA).

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