FIS site visit confirms Canmore’s readiness for 2025 Para Cross-Country World Cup

The Canmore Nordic Centre is poised to host the world’s top Para Cross-Country skiers this December, following a successful site inspection by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). The visit confirmed that the venue and organizing team are fully prepared for the FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup, scheduled for December 4–7, 2025. 

Led by the Alberta World Cup Society (AWCS), the Organizing Committee received strong praise from FIS officials, who reviewed recent infrastructure upgrades, including an expanded stadium designed specifically for Para Nordic events. Besides the integration of a new Biathlon Building, the venue’s overall accessibility and athlete-focused design assessed the venue’s enhancements. 

“With the construction of the new functional building in the Biathlon Arena, a very high international standard for skiing has been achieved,” said Georg Zipfel, FIS Para Cross-Country Race Director.

Brian McKeever, Para Nordic Ski Team Coach with Nordiq Canada, highlighted the thoughtful course design: “It’s been some good work to put together some courses that make use of the new stadium layout. We’ve tried to create accessible courses that can be used as legacy pieces for the future. We’re aiming to provide courses that are fun and challenging and can help support Canadian athletes’ development as they learn to compete on world-class courses.”

The event also marks a key milestone in the lead-up to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. “It is great to be back to Canmore after 4 seasons and start the Paralympic season with such a great organizer,” said Dimitrije Lazarovski, Para Snow Sports Director. “The competition will follow the Continental Cup and International Classification. Like that, all athletes will be able to secure their classification status prior to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.” 

The AWCS, supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, is now focused on final preparations. “Hosting an event of this caliber requires an extraordinary team, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such a wealth of local volunteer talent,” said Nancy Richard, Local Organizing Committee Chair. “Their dedication will be paramount in ensuring a fair, safe, and impeccably run competition for all.” 

The FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup in December will be followed by the IBU Para Biathlon World Cup from December 11–14, creating a two-week celebration of Para Nordic sport in Canmore.