Schladming all set for “Ski Festival with Heart”

posted:

02/02/2013

Austria’s Schladming is well prepared to kick off the season highlight event in Alpine Skiing, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. On 4th February, FIS President Gian Franco Kasper will officially unveil the event at the Opening Ceremony which will begin at 18:30 CET in the Planai Finish Area. The secret but by all accounts spectacular show can also be followed live through Public Viewing at the Medals Plaza.

609 athletes (356 men and 253 ladies) representing 72 nations have been entered to participate in the second FIS Alpine World Ski Championships staged in Schladming after 1982. 33 FIS World Championship medals will be awarded for the five ladies' and men's individual events as well as the nations' team event.

The competitions will begin with the ladies super-G on Tuesday, 5th February, followed by the super-G for the men on Wednesday, 6th February 2013. The qualification races for the men's slalom and giant slalom events are in the program for the fourth time since 2007 in Are (SWE), due to the extremely high number of entries in these events.

The ladies races will be held on the piste called “Streicherabfahrt“ and the men’s races on the so-called “FIS Downhill”. The only exception is the ladies‘ giant slalom which will also be held on the men’s “FISDownhill” course.

The official goal of the organizers is 320’000 spectators during the 14 day event but the number could rise as high as 400’000 in the course of the fortnight.

The official World Championships Program:
Monday, 4th February
18:30 CET Opening Ceremony

Tuesday, 5th February
11:00 CET Super-G Ladies

Wednesday, 6th February
11:00 CET Super-G Men

Thursday, 7th February
10:00 CET Downhill Training Men
12:30 CET Downhill Training Ladies

Friday, 8th February
10:00 CET Super Combined Ladies Downhill
14:00 CET Super Combined Ladies Slalom

Saturday, 9th February
11:00 CET Downhill Men

Sunday, 10th February
11:00 CET Downhill Ladies

Monday, 11th February
12:00 CET Super Combined Men Downhill
18:15 CET Super Combined Men Slalom

Tuesday, 12th February
17:00 CET Nations Team Event

Wednesday, 13th February
Reserve Day

Thursday, 14th February
10:00 CET Giant Slalom Ladies 1st Run
13:30 CET Giant Slalom Ladies 2nd Run

Friday, 15th February
10:00 CET Giant Slalom Men 1st Run
13:30 CET Giant Slalom Men 2nd Run

Saturday, 16th February
10:00 CET Slalom Ladies 1st Run
13:30 CET Slalom Ladies 2nd Run

Sunday, 17th February
10:00 CET Slalom Men 1st Run
13:30 CET Slalom Men 2nd Run

Schladming 2013 Medals and Prize Money
The FIS World Championships medals, created by Swiss Designer Alex W. Diggelmann (1902-1987), have been manufactured solely for FIS since 1952 and are awarded exclusively to the FIS World Championships gold, silver and bronze winners. All medals are made of genuine silver and have carried the same weight sine they were first produced. They are worth about CHF 118.50 (EUR 96.00, USD 130.00) per piece. The gold medals, however, have been gold plated in a special process.

A total of 48 medals in 11 medal events will be awarded during the 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Schladming. This includes 10 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals for the individual events (5 for ladies, 5 for men), and 6 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals for the team event.

In addition to the medals, for the second time in the history of World Championships the best athletes wil be awarded with prize money. The amounts given out to the top 6 athletes in each discipline and to the top three ranked teams at the Nations Team Event will be financed by FIS and the Organizing Committe in equal parts.

Individual Events:
1. 40'000.- CHF
2. 25'000.- CHF
3. 15'000.- CHF
4. 10'000.- CHF
5. 6'000.- CHF
6. 4'000.- CHF