The day-by-day schedule for the medal events at the Åre 2019 Championships, scheduled for 5-17 February, had already been confirmed earlier but with the addition of the daily starting times, the race program is now official.
The majority of the competitions will start a little later during the day which is advantageous for the day visitors. Fans living even further around the country will be able to see the first racers start without leaving home before dawn. With the new rail connections announcedby SJ it will be easy to reach Åre in time and return home after the competitions. It is also important to allow the racers time to prepare for what may be the most important race in their sporting careers.
– It takes thousands of hours of training and years of preparation to go to the start at a World Championships, indeed a lifetime devoted to the goal of being the best in the world in your sport, said Hans Olsson, Assistant Sport Director at Åre 2019 and former ski racer himself.
- That is why we want to allow the racers sufficient time to properly prepare for their life’s most important minutes on the race day when all that really counts!
Three competitions will start after dusk: the Alpine team event on 12 February and the second runs of the men's and ladies' giant slaloms on Thursday, 14 February and Friday, 15 February.
– Nothing beats evening races in Alpine Skiing. The flood lights in Åre offer perfect visibility for the athletes and a great atmosphere for both the athletes and the crowd. The atmosphere is always fantastic at night events, said Hans Olsson.
During the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, the ladies' and men's qualification races for the technical events will be carried out at Hamrebacken in Duved, approximately 10 kilometers from Åre. Athletes who have not pre-qualified in the slalom or giant slalom will race to qualify for the medal competition.
The official race program can be found at www.are2019.com/program.