On 31st May the FIS Council elected the Organizers of the FIS World Championships 2016/2017 at the 48th International Ski Congress in Kangwonland, Korea.
The candidates for the Nordic events - Oberstdorf (GER), Zakopane (POL), Lahti (FIN) and Planica (SLO) - delivered their final presentations to the FIS Council on Tuesday, 29th May. All the candidates had their stands in the lobby of the Congress hotel where they promoted their bids and offered local delicacies. Some candidates brought athletes to support their bid to Korea. For example Petra Majdic fought hard for Planica and Slovenia, whilst Aino-Kaisa Saarinen supported the bid of Lahti from home in a promotional video and the German skiers were part of the Oberstdorf candidacy.
On Thursday evening local time, the FIS President Gian Franco Kasper announced that Lahti (FIN) would host the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2017 and the candidacy committee led by the chairman and FIS Council Member Matti Sundberg could start celebrating. Lahti took this honor in the 3rd ballot with 12 votes ahead of Planica (SLO).
Lahti won with their concept “Join the Celebration”, which foresees festivals of various sorts providing an unique winter celebration for everyone involved from athletes, and media to sponsors, visitors and volunteers.
The organizing committee plans to organize more than 100 individual events as part of the Ski Festival. Not only will the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 be a big celebration of skiing but also Finland will be celebrating 100th anniversary of independence that year.
The Organizers have set a challenging goal to welcome 425,000 spectators to stadiums, another 250,000 people to ceremonies and at least 325,000 visitors to other Ski Festival events that are linked to Championships, Finland’s 100th anniversary of independence and promotion of Nordic skiing.
You can find more at: www.lahti2017.fi
