Oslo prepares for suspected WSC 2011
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Torgeir Nordby, chief manager of the Holmenkollen,
All photos:
VG.no
Plans of the new Holmenkollen ski jump (above/below) ...
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.The planned conversions of the Holmenkollen
at Oslo
In 1952 the Norwegian capital Oslo was host of the VI Olympic
Winter Games, 1930, 1966 and for a last time in 1982 it hosted the skiing world
championships of the Nordic disciplines. Always specialized ski jumpers and
Nordic combined had used Holmenkollen, the oldest, most traditional and maybe the
most well-known ski jumping hill of the world, furthermore Oslo’s landmark and
pride. Also during the next large event, which shall take place at Oslo, the
Nordic World Championships in 2011, the Holmenkollen shall play an important
role as a competition site.
In order to be prepared for the struggle for the
hosting against Zakopane and Val di Fiemme, the now a bit gotten in the tooth
ski jumping hill needs to be renovated, so that the Norwegian people can
celebrate the FIS congress on May 25 at Vilamoura in Portugal. Therefore in the
past months many contrivers debates have taken place in the home country of ski
jumping, lots of models were discussed and finally the winning scheme presented
on March 13, which will only be realized if the Oslo bid for 2011 gets
acceptance.
For 310 million crones (39 mill. €) the old inrun
tower shall be removed and a new one built up, whereby the typical character of
the jump shall be kept and “Norwegian” materials just like wood be taken. Furthermore
the landing zone will be enlarged and graved 4 meters lower, so that the new
hill will have a Hill Size of 136 m (now HS 128). Another point is that a new
functional area shall be integrated in the artificial landing hill shortly
after the takeoff and the complete hill will also be covered with plastic mattings.
Further nearly 70 mill. crones (about 9 mill. €) will be invested into the
infrastructure of the cross-country stadium at Holmenkollen. The conversion of
the large hill ski jump would take place in several steps, in order to keep the
yearly World Cup competition integrated in the Nordic Tournament running.
and the new jumps at Midtstuen
But the
Holmenkollen is not the only ski jumping hill which needs to be renovated for
the WSC in 2001, also the normal hill at Midtstuen, which was already used for
the Olympics 1952 and the following world championships and is now dilapidated
and not ready for jumping, would be rebuild again. For 75 mill. NOK (9.4
mill. €) five further small training
ski jumping hills would be built beside the Midtstubakken-K90 at the other side
of the Kollen, each one covered with plastic mattings for summer ski jumping.
Now there is just one question remaining about the
financing of the new facilities, because the city of Oslo would like to spend
maximum 70 mill. crones, the country should pay 50% or more – and, of course,
the decision in may for or against another WSC at Oslo, because otherwise Oslo
would have to lower its sights intense.
Further
information on the hills:
> Closer Look > Oslo prepares for suspected
WSC 2011