ALPINE:

Alpine worlds notebook: Security concerns limit crowds

Feb. 7, 2011 — The Canadian Press

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Security worries prompted by a deadly stampede at last year's "Love Parade" have forced organizers to limit the number of fans attending the alpine skiing World Championships.

Organizers say that instead of a planned 50,000 fans attending some races, the numbers will be more like 10-15,000.

"We will have fewer fans than we hoped for, but security comes first," local organizing committee CEO Peter Fischer said Monday.

Fischer calculated a loss of —1 million ($1.36 million) due to lost ticket sales and added security.

At last July's techno music festival in Duisburg, Germany, a stampede left 21 killed and more than 500 injured.

The Feb. 8-20 championships open Tuesday with the women's super-G.

International Ski Federation (FIS) president Gian Franco Kasper said: "Let's not forget about all the people that will watch on TV. Even in Vancouver (at last year's Olympics) we had relatively few spectators, but the TV numbers were great. It's unfortunate, but we have to live with it."

OLYMPIC DISPUTE: Local authorities are also in a dispute with a group of 59 Bavarian farmers and landowners who have so far declined to release their land in Garmisch to enlarge venues for Munich's 2018 Winter Olympics bid.

"I'm not in favor of chopping down entire forests just to have more spectators," International Ski Federation president Gian Franco Kasper said.

Annecy, France; and Pyeongchang, South Korea, are also bidding for the 2018 vote, with the International Olympic Committee host-city vote on July 6 in Durban, South Africa.

"As an IOC member I'm not permitted to visit bidding countries, but I got an exception to travel here to Garmisch," Kasper said. "World Championships are a good visiting card if it goes well, but it's not a crucial issue, as only a few members of (the IOC) will be visiting here."

DOPING TESTS: The top four finishers plus two skiers picked at random will be tested at every event of the World Championships.

"It will be a combination of tests, there will be blood tests too," secretary general Sarah Lewis said. "All you can test will be tested, but I don't want to give too many details.

"In general we have far fewer doping cases in alpine than in cross-country skiing," Lewis added.

PRIZE MONEY: Prize money will be handed out for the first time at a skiing World Championships.
A total of 100,000 Swiss francs ($105,000) will be awarded for each of the 11 races, with costs split in half between the FIS and the local organizing committee.

Race winners in individual events will receive 40,000 Swiss francs ($42,000), runner-ups will get 25,000 Swiss francs ($26,000) and third-place finishers 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,700), with prizes handed out down to sixth place.

In the team event, the winning nation will receive 50,000 Swiss francs ($52,000).

"It's similar prize money to World Cup races," FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said.

Monetary prizes are also being handed out at the nordic, freestyle and snowboard worlds, while athletes will still get traditional gold, silver and bronze medals.

TEAM EVENT: The embattled team event is back in the middle of the schedule for the alpine worlds, with skiing authorities still hopeful of inserting the race into the program at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Having made its debut at the 2005 worlds in Bormio, the team event has not gathered much enthusiasm among racers and fans. It used to be held on the final day of the championships after many racers had already gone home. It drew a less than stellar field and prompted the FIS to move it to the middle of the worlds in Val d'Isere two years ago, although it was canceled at the French resort due to heavy snowfall and high winds.

This year's race is scheduled for Feb. 16, after the speed races but before the technical races of slalom and giant slalom.

So will the top athletes enter?

"We cannot force anyone to participate or not, but I honestly believe that a national federation would be happy to be the best team at a World Championships of a team event, but that's up to the teams and the coaches," FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said.

Kasper said the FIS is pushing for five new events in various disciplines for the Olympics.

"The IOC executive agreed that all of them could be in, but they left it up to the president of the IOC to personally make a decision in the spring after the different world championships," Kasper said.  S-Magazine