Norway Seek Redemption As Nordic Worlds Finally Come To Asia

The Nordic skiing world championships come to Asia for the first time, with the Norwegian team out to erase the Olympic shame of 2006.

However, not only the athletes are the stars at the February 22-March 4 championships in Sapporo, the local Sapporo Dome will also play a leading role as a unique venue.

For the first time in the 83-year history of the championships medals will be decided under a roof.

The cross-country sprints on the opening day as well as the team sprints and Nordic combined sprint event 24 hours later start and finish in the 42,000-seat arena which was built for the 2002 football World Cup.

Where David Beckham converted a penalty for England against Argentina five years ago, Virpi Kuitunen of Finland aims to underline her role as favourite for multiple cross-country medals from the outset in the sprint.

Kuitunen aims to follow in the footsteps of Norwegian Marit Bjoergen, who got three gold, one silver and one bronze at the last worlds 2005 in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Kuitunen, one of six Finnish skiers caught doping at their home worlds 2001 in Lahti and subsequently banned until 2003, boasts six season wins and now wants to add medals to her World Cup lead.

"I enjoy the skiing a lot," says Kuitunen when asked why she has become such a dominant force.

Bjoergen played a major role that Norway dominated the 2005 worlds with seven gold, five silver and seven bronze medals, but the proud Nordic sport nation crashed badly at the 2006 Olympics - winning not one gold as athletes were ill or out of form.

Pride is now to be restored in Sapporo.

The Norwegians are using all resources, including biathletes Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Lars Berger. Bjoerndalen won a cross-country race early in the season and is now bidding to win gold in Sapporo on top of two titles earlier this month at the biathlon worlds.

"The biathlon worlds are my priority. But a medal in Sapporo would be special because cross-country is not my speciality," said Bjoerndalen.

Norway's team also boasts the 50km champion from 2005, Frode Estil, and Jens Arne Svartedal, but out to spoil the show are the French 2005 pursuit winner Vincent Vittoz and a strong German challenge headed by World Cup leader and Tour de Ski champion Tobias Angerer.

Norway can add further silverware in the Nordic combined, twinning ski-jumping and cross-country skiing, from two-time season winner Magnus Moan, and in ski-jumping from World Cup leader and Four Hills champion Anders Jacobsen.

But Finland's Hannu Manninen doesn't want to choke again at a major Nordic combined event while Austrian veteran Felix Gottwald is looking for a title in his farewell season and German Ronny Ackermann to add more gold to his two 2002 titles.

In ski-jumping, teenager Gregor Schlierenzauer and two-time Olympic champion Thomas Morgenstern lead a strong Austrian challenge, with the 2005 large hill champion Janne Ahonen and two-time 2003 gold medallist Adam Malysz of Poland also not to be underestimated.

The Japanese jumpers, by contrast, will need a miracle to delight a home crowd like at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo and 1998 Games in Nagano as they have no gold medal contender this time around.

A Japanese title would boost the local fans, but the championships bringing together almost 500 athletes from 49 countries in 18 medal events have an aim beyond local interest.

"The Nordic world ski championships in Sapporo represent a vital opportunity to promote Nordic Skiing in Japan and Asia, and we are determined to make the most of it," said Yoshiro Ito, head of the Sapporo organizing committee and FIS vice-president.

By John Bagratuni, Dpa
© 2007 DPA