At first on HS 134 Hill and then on the cross-country course the Nordic combined contestant fought for gold in four-member teams at the 47th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Liberec 2009. The Japanese had most strength and luck.  The German team came second and Norwegians third. Our Czech team finished in a nice sixth place.

One of the most famous Czechs living in the United States came to Liberec. Formerly a successful downhill skier competing for Czechoslovakia, an even more famous celebrity today.

15 quartets in total were on the start line of 4 x 5 km relay Ladies in Vesec today. In a dramatic race the Norwegian relay team was the first to enter the final lap.  However, a very young Marthe Kristoffersen didn´t keep control of her finish and a “potato medal” was left for her and her team. And she was left in tears. The Finnish team Muranen, Kuitunen, Roponen and  Saarinen enjoyed their victory. It is the third medal for Saarinen. The German relay team Zeller, Stehle, Goessner and Nystad took silver especially thanks to Claudia Nystad. She “thrashed” in the finish area not only the Norwegian competitor, but also Kalla of Sweden who had humiliated her with a cruel spurt in the last uphill.  Andersen, Norgren, Haag and Kalla took bronze.

Neither fashion show nor shooting of another Superman film in Liberec but rather something like a bet among Czech athletes.  The press agencies didn´t bring more information...

What is rather unusual in this country, which is camping on snow, belongs to a natural link between people and nature in Norway... Joy of life, enjoyment of sports, good food and drink. These are the Norwegians on snow. Jiri Kittner, Mayor of Liberec came to talk with them, taste their specialities, and show himself on his skis too.

The preparatory stage for the last big event of the Championships must be perfect.

Altogether six couples of skiers came to be awarded medals and trophies made by Preciosa in front of the City Hall. Two Finnish female skiers, two Swedes, and two Italians and later happy Norwegian male skiers, Germans and Finns.

Ola Vigen Hattestad of Norway can hang another gold round his neck. Together with Johan Kjoelstad who gained silver yesterday, they have taken gold in team print. Aino Kaisa Saarinen and Virpi Kuitunen of Finland gained the same medal before them.  Tobias Angerer and Axel Teichmann of Germany and Swedish competitors Anna Olsson and Lina Andersson got silver. In the third place there were Ville Nousiainen and Sami Jauhojaervi of Finland and a Marianna Longa and Arianna Follis of Italy.

Up and down, up and down. We could describe ski jumpers´ training in these simple words. Up with the chair lift, down on skis... Well it isn´t that simple.   It´s very cold on the chair lift, the seat is freezing, wind is blowing; the fog is now thicker and thinner then. The way back on skis is harder though. The hole opening up before the jumper after he jumps off the edge of the take-off, this is for tough guys only. Well, today it is already for women too (but brave ones too)!

Martin Sidorjak let his hair down among the jumpers. He wouldn´t admit it himself, but his photographs have a real artistic touch...