. world ski news : FIS WC Grand Finals 2008 preparations in full swing - 14 October 2007 - 11:46
FIS WORLD CUP. Preparations are well underway in Bormio, Santa Caterina and Valmalenco (ITA) for the FIS World Cup Grand Finals 2008, set to take place from 12th-16th March 2008.
The Alpine Finals will feature the season’s last races in four FIS Alpine World Cup events (slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill) with competitions starting as from Wednesday 12th March. All men’s and ladies races - ladies for the first time since 2003 - will be held on the (in)famous Stelvio slope. The schedule will conclude with the nations’ team event on Sunday, 16th March. As at the traditional New Year’s men’s downhill race, the Finals finish area will be at the bottom of the slope.
As a premiere, the Cross-Country World Cup Final in Santa Caterina will be staged as a mini competition series. Starting with a prologue and followed by two distance races, the three-race weekend - only entry in all races is possible - will test the athletes in diverse ways while delivering a maximum of 300 FIS World Cup points to the best athletes. For carrying out the new Finals race program, construction work to broaden the trails, modify a downhill section and complete a bridge is underway with scheduled completion by the end of October. A final course and TV inspection with host broadcaster RAI and rights holder Infront Italy is scheduled for 30th October.
Valmalenco will host the FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cup finals. Work on the snowboard and ski cross courses features, the moguls course and big air venue has already been finished and so are the adaptations to the snow-making system. Work on the half-pipe, for both Snowboard and Freestyle, will begin next week and is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
All the various organizing teams in the Bormio region are looking forward to the culmination of the 2007/08 season there. For more information, the home page for the FIS Grand Finals 2008 is already online at www.grandfinals2008.com
FIS press release
11.10.2007