At full speed ahead in Liberec 2009
Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - By FIS
This week it was time for the spring Coordination Group meeting for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec (CZE). The two day meeting provided the team led by Organizing Committee President Katerina Neumannova a chance to discuss the state of its preparations with the representatives of FIS, the TV and marketing rights holder EBU and its marketing partner APF.
The focus of the discussions was on the lessons learned during the World Cup events for all three Nordic disciplines that served as the official test events and the next steps for the organizing committee as it transitions from the planning phase into operational mode. The challenging conditions that characterized the Cross-Country and Nordic Combined World Cup events in mid-February enabled the OC to collect many valuable experiences and clearly helped to move the preparedness onto another level.
“The members of the Coordination Group were very pleased to see the good work and very thorough preparations done by the growing and enthusiastic team in Liberec. While certain issues are still being tackled, most notably accommodation for the international TV crews and other media, as well as detailed planning on the sports side especially for snow production, work on finalizing the infrastructure is clearly making great strides. The renovation of the university that will serve as the first of its kind Athletes’ Village is even ahead of schedule now that less than 10 months remain until the event,” commented Sarah Lewis, FIS Secretary General, after the meetings. “We are now looking forward to seeing the city of Liberec unite behind the event which will be carried out for the first time ever in the Czech Republic to create a true championship spirit that will make the event an unforgettable experience for all the visitors and TV viewers from around the world.”
The World Broadcasters Meeting, including the participation of most major television networks covering Nordic ski sports, was held immediately following the Coordination Group meeting in Liberec. This gathering serves as an important opportunity for the host broadcaster Czech TV to discuss details of their vision for the TV broadcasting with their peers and finalize production plans and infrastructure requirements.
Following some minor changes, the final competition schedule for the entire championships will be subject to confirmation by FIS Council in its spring meeting in May. The Final Inspection in Liberec is scheduled to take place in conjunction with the FIS Day at the Forum Nordicum on 12th-13th October.