FIS Junior Alpine World Ski Championships 2012 to be host in Roccaraso
by Michela Caré
Roccaraso will be the home of the FIS Junior Alpine World Ski Championships 2012, scheduled from 29th February 9th March, in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.
The host of several European Cup events from 2004 onwards, the Roccaraso Organising Committee headed by Giulio Rossi is already busy preparing to welcome the young ski racing talents for their main season goal. The competitions will be held on re-contoured courses, such as the Direttissima of Monte Pratello for the speed events, and the "Lupo" in Aremogna, for the technical events. A joint inspection of the status of preparations was conducted in Roccaraso between FIS and FISI by Markus Waldner, Continental Cup Coordinator and Janez Flere, European Cup Coordinator for the FIS and Flavio Roda for FISI last week. The inspection focused on the situation of the reconstructed slopes, the logistics and program details and the meeting delivered good results overall. Some work still remains related to completing the snow-making system.
"Everything is progressing in plan and we look forward to seeing everything ready when we return for the final inspection mid-November," commented Markus Waldner. "For the first time we will be racing over nine days, from Wednesday to the following Friday, which provides us much more flexibility in case of inclement weather caused by the vicinity of the ocean very near. It will also be the premiere edition of the nations' team event at the Junior Worlds staged as a parallel event."
Despite its southern location, Roccaraso boasts good snow conditions on the courses that are located at a relatively high altitude. The start of the GS is situated at an altitude of 1,950 metres, while the SL start is at 1,770 metres, with the finish area for both located at 1,570 metres. By comparison, the downhill start is located at 2,030 metres and the finish area -- common for both speed and technical events -- at 1,430 metres.
The goal of the Organizers is to deliver a ‘real Championship event' to celebrate the young racers' extraordinary performances while creating a legacy for skiing in the area, which is differentiated from the Alps and Dolomites because of its unique nature, the quality and variety of its slopes and its proximity to both the sea and various cultural sites. Giulio Rossi's team sees the Junior Worlds 2012 as the beginning of a long-term improvement in the infrastructure and services provided by the region for skiers at both a national and international level.
Stampa
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