FIS MEDIA INFO: Great competitions mark the end of the 11th FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in Madonna di Campiglio

Oberhofen, March 13th, 2006//--The 11th FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships have concluded in Madonna di Campiglio (ITA). “This season has been very challenging for all parties,” noted FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. “However, thanks to the great efforts by the organizers and their team of volunteers, we were able to enjoy very high-quality competitions in beautiful spring conditions at Madonna di Campiglio. Equally important, during the visit in Vancouver by the IOC's Coordination Commission for the XXI Olympic Winter Games that coincided with the Championships, we received the official confirmation from the organizing committee, VANOC, for the addition of ski cross to the program for 2010. This is great news as ski cross is an event that will undoubtedly capture the energy and imagination of spectators worldwide. As we saw in Madonna di Campiglio, interest in ski cross is rapidly growing among the public and athletes alike, due to its dynamic format and exciting competitions.”

“We were challenged all season with the snow and weather conditions, which also caused the postponement of the Freestyle FIS World Ski Championships. The organizers used all their snow making capacity for the preparation of the courses, but could not find the snow for half-pipe course. The courses were challenging and in the end, the athletes were well-prepared to compete here at the very end of the season. Winning on the slopes of Campiglio required a true freestyle champion. It is always a very special atmosphere in Italy, and local fans were able to rejoice having their first Freestyle World Championship medals in fourteen years,” added Joseph T. Fitzgerald, FIS Freestyle Coordinator.

26 nations participated in the eight title competitions held in the course of last week. Altogether, 11 nations won medals at Madonna di Campiglio, five of them gold. The most medals were captured by Canada which emerged with a total of five medals (three gold, one silver and one bronze), followed by France and Australia with four and three medals, respectively while the Chinese team is travelling home with two World Champions. Three reigning champions – Tomas Kraus (CZE; men's ski cross), Nina Li (CHN; ladies' aerials) and Jennifer Heil (CAN; ladies' dual moguls) – were able to defend their titles.

The next FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships will be held in Inawashiro (JPN) from March 1st - 8th, 2009.

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