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| Press Releases >> Archive 2007 >> Super Combined |
FIS MEDIA INFO: Super combined premieres in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Ĺre
Ĺre, February 7, 2007/ -- At the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Ĺre (SWE), the combined competition for the ladies and men will for the first time be carried out in the super combined format, rather than the traditional combined format with two slalom runs. According to the schedule, the men's super combined will be staged on Thursday, 8th February, and the ladies' on Friday, 9th February. Based on the rules, a super combined consists of a speed event (downhill or super-G) followed by a slalom run.
After the debut of the super combined in the men's Audi FIS Alpine World Cup at Wengen (SUI) in January 2005 seven super combined races have been completed by the men and five by the ladies. The first super combined for the ladies was carried out in San Sicario (ITA) in February 2005. This season for the first time, there will also be a super combined World Cup classification, rewarded by a small crystal globe for the winner. For the awarding of a World Cup trophy, a minimum of three races are required. The men have already fulfilled this minimum – through races at Beaver Creek (USA), Reiteralm (AUT) and Wengen (SUI) – while the fourth race scheduled for Chamonix (FRA), then rescheduled but cancelled at Val d'Isere (FRA) will most likely take place at Kvitfjell (NOR) in March 2007. The ladies have had super combined competitions in Reiteralm (AUT) and Zauchensee-Altenmarkt (AUT), with the final competition of the season scheduled in Tarvisio (ITA) in early March.
“The experience from the FIS World Cup shows that the super combined has been a great innovation. We have seen many new names and nations on the podium. Besides, the new event offers new opportunities for ‘younger' Alpine nations that do not have courses with a sufficient vertical drop to stage additional World Cup events,” notes FIS President Gian Franco Kasper.
“The super combined has completely fulfilled my expectations; what we hoped was that this new event would re-animate participation in downhill on a broad basis. And this is exactly what has happened as we have seen many young skiers venture into the speed events through the super combined. In general, we are very pleased with the broad interest and enthusiasm that there is for the super combined from the teams as well as the organizers,” comments Günter Hujara, FIS Chief Race Director for the men.
The rules for the super combined have been finalized, including the introduction of a specific WCSL and FIS points, in just three years. Discussions are underway with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to adopt the super combined in the Olympic Program, instead of the traditional combined format, in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver (CAN).
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