Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme about to start
Val di Fiemme - FIS
After the last World Cup weekend before Sochi is history, it's time to give the center stage to Nordic Combined's juniors at the Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Again, the fight for medals, podium places and personal start rights to the World Cup is on at the venue of the World Ski Championships from 2013.
In Nordic Combined, three medal events are on schedule on Thursday, 30th of January (Individual Gundersen 10 km), 1st of February (Individual Gundersen 5 km) and 2nd of February (Team Event).
In this difficult winter of 2013/14 with a lack of snow and warm temperatures all over central Europe, the preparations on location have not been easy but the snow control report last week was positive. Snow controller Sandro Pertile: "Despite the difficult weather conditions, both jumping hill and tracks are still in very good conditions. Val di Fiemme is ready to host the FIS Junior and U23 World Ski Championships."
Shortly before the Olympics, the competitions in Val di Fiemme will see a mixed starting field of young athletes, some making their first appearance on the "big" international stage, some familiar faces from Contintental Cup and World Cup.
After Germany's domination last year where all Individual gold medals went to Manuel Faißt and the Team gold also dangled around German necks in the end, it remains to be seem who can be the happy winners and podium athletes who will be enjoying a personal start right to the World Cup competitions until the next Junior World Championships. And so the fight is in once more in Val di Fiemme.
