Lamy Chappuis of France won the ski jumping leg of the final Nordic combined individual event on the large hill in Jested with a jump of 131 metres today. He was to start the afternoon cross-country run almost half a minute ahead of Finnish couple of Koivuranta and Ryynaenen. However, shortly after the ski jumps Koivuranta gave up the race due to health reasons. Our athlete Pavel Churavy jumped 122.5 m and in the current 12th place he is 1:03 minutes behind the leading competitor.
Polish fans are revelling. Their Justyna Kowalczyk gained a second gold at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Liberec 2009. Today in Vesec she won the 30 km free technique event. Nine seconds behind her the never-ageing Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia came for silver and with almost the same time difference behind her was Valentina Shevchenko of Ukraine. Favourite Saarinen came seventh, our competitor Erbenova finished in the 39th place.
During every big event like the Nordic World Ski Championships it is necessary to make perfect preparations regarding transport of people as the areas are often situated on the edge of the city.The Organizing Committee has handled this part of the Championships in an excellent way. A minimum number of cars enter the areas and transport services are mainly provided by buses. Spectators can use the city public transport which is reinforced and free of charge during the Championships.
Wearing bib number one, Finnish Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, the biggest star of this year’s World Championships at the moment, will start the Mass Start Ladies 30 km free style race. Even in this marathon race, Saarinen still has a good chance to claim the podium and leave Liberec with five medals. In Sapporo 2007, she finished fourth, but it was a classical style. The biggest opponents are also the same – the gold medallist from 10 km race Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland, Italian Ariana Follis and Norwegian Kristin Stoermer Steira. The defending World Champion from Sapporo is Virpi Kuitunen from Finland, who is better in classics. For the first time in the World Championships history, skiers have the opportunity to change their skies at 11,25 km and 18,75 km. This new rule should make the race faster.
Although there were not any particular sport reasons to be happy about for the Czech colours yesterday, there were many social events to make one happy. From six o´clock in the afternoon fans were able to quench the thirst in the Budvar Beer House where a Happy Hour was taking place. Anyone coming with a Czech tattoo on their bodies was offered a free beer. As the Czechs are beer lovers, the Beer House was really overcrowded.
Swiss ski jumper Andreas Kuettel became a new world champion on the large hill. Silver goes to Martin Schmitt of Germany and Anders Jacobsen of Norway took bronze. Roman Koudelka was again the best among Czech competitors who finished in the 9th place like on the medium hill. Heavy snowfalls accompanied the competition which allowed the jumpers one round only in the end.
Official information of JURY - 27. 2. 2009
A debacle and a disappointment. There are no other words to describe today´s performance of the Czech team in Men´s 4x10 km relay. It was evident after the first metres that it would be very difficult for the Czechs to get among the elite six. But too soon a record number of spectators – almost 37,000 – couldn't believe their eyes. Czech colours ended in the last place but one. It was the Norwegian team revelling over their victory; they had to put up a heavy fight over the gold medal with the German team.
Self-confident declarations about gaining one of the medals for sure, called into question from time to time with statements to the effect that the courses in Vesec are like walls or that there are only few cheering spectators; or leaking news about quarrels in the Men´s team because of God knows what... It all resulted in a great shame for Czech cross-country skiing with a 13th place in 4 x 10 km relay Men. The Norwegian team won ahead of German and Finnish teams.
The CTK report about security control at the entrance to the Cross-Country Ski Area Vesec which the agency published at 1.29 pm. can be considered as hasty and unverified.
