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Photo: Ulf Palm / TT
Charlotte Kalla during the Swedish premiere at Gällivare 2017.
Much of the upcoming ski season is still uncertain due to the crown pandemic.
But if the organizers jump, a possible solution can be found in northern Sweden.
– We are ready, says Leif Johansson, President of Sport Event Gällivare.
The International Ski Federation, Fis, has a lot of work ahead to finalize the next racing season when there are many doubts about the corona virus.
There has been talk of reducing the number of competitions, but also of moving events to countries that have the opportunity to organize more competitions.
“Yes, it is an opportunity and a grip that can be used to shape our season plan into current opportunities,” Fis manager Pierre Mignerey said recently in an interview with the Norwegian NTB.
In such a situation, it would probably be more about the Nordic countries, Niklas Jonsson, Sweden’s representative on the Fis length committee, told TT, as economic opportunities are generally better there with a greater interest in skiing.
So how is it possible for Swedish organizers to get more competitions?
“It does not work”
When TT calls the Swedish organizers, Falun and Ulricehamn, they have not received any questions from Fis. At least not yet.
– No new concrete proposals have emerged. We are planning a competition from 16 to 17 January and we cannot change that much, we cannot have a competition in December, for example, says Johan Falk, CEO of the World Cup competition in Ulricehamn.
Falk doesn’t want to shut the door completely, for example taking an extra day of competition if the question arises, but he says at the same time:
– But that we would put a distance of five kilometers on Friday before it doesn’t work either. So we are at even greater risk in terms of snow, says Falk.
– And I don’t think there will be more competitions during several weekends. I shouldn’t say no, but it’s difficult … If it suddenly hurts the organizers, then I don’t know who can organize a competition in the short term. Is there an organizer who can help if the question reaches Sweden?
“It would be exciting”
Yes, maybe it does.
Gällivare has previously shown interest in World Cup competitions, but has not organized any since 2012.
– We don’t have a direct question. But we have ongoing discussions with the Swedish Ski Federation, “says Leif Johansson, president of Sport Event Gällivare.
– We have discussed a little internally but nothing concrete, and I think we would only see that we have finances, we would love it, absolutely.
Before 2012, the premiere of the 2010 World Cup was held in Gällivare. A competition that Leif Johansson remembers warmly.
– Then we had Marcus Hellner who won, Charlotte Kalla finished second and the men won the baton. It would have been so much fun to be able to join him again.
In recent years (alternating every two years with the Bruksvallarna), the ski crowd in Norrbotten has seen the Swedish premiere. The risk in Gällivare is the cold and organizing competitions in, for example, February can be difficult.
– Obviously it would be exciting for us. We have an organization that would. So I also believe that we have support in society and the municipality. We are ready if the question arises, says Johansson.
Important with competitions outside the Nordic region
Falun is scheduled to host the World Cup from January 30 to 31. Ulrika Back Eriksson, CEO of Swedish Ski Games in Falun, describes it as an “opportunity but a challenge” to organize more competitions, but also says that an extra day during the same competition weekend would probably be fairly easy to implement.
But it also points out the importance of competitions being organized outside the Nordic countries.
– I think it is important for the World Cup and for the sport that there are competitions in other countries besides the Nordic countries.
Facts: Ski season 2020/2021
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