2019 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships prep this weekend

With a crowd cheering from the balcony, Len Apedaile (left), head of technical control and officiating for the World Para Nordic Skiing Sport Technical Committee, Kevin Pettersen, chair of the local organizing committee, Chief Dominic Frederick, Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris, Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, Mayor Lyn Hall, Erica Hummel of Tourism Prince George, and Jim Burbee announce, last winter, the city is going to host the 2019 World Para Nordic Skiing championships.

This weekend marks a very busy time at the site of the 2019 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships. The second and final site visit by international officials will take place at Otway Nordic Ski Centre, as well as the International Para Nordic/World Para Nordic Skiing Biathlon International Referees Seminar.

Since the first site visit in June, a tremendous amount of work has taken place to finalize the overall planning of the 2019 Para Nordic World Championships. Important physical improvements to the Otway Nordic Ski Centre, including accessibility upgrades (ramps, accessible doors), fine tuning of race courses, and the installation of the snowmaking systems, have also been completed.

Officials Dimitirije Lazarovski – GERMANY – (IPC Head of World Para Snow Sports), Len Apedaile – CANADA – (IPC/WPNS Race Director) and Geir Colbjørnsen – NORWAY – (IPC/WPNS Technical Delegate) from the IPC and WPNS will be in Prince George on Friday October 12 and Saturday, October 13 to assess all preparations for the Championships including course layout, stadium, biathlon range, venue layout, scheduling, accommodation, transportation and broadcasting.

Prince George will also host the IPC/WPNS Biathlon International Referees Seminar from October 12-14. The seminar welcomes approximately 10 international referees from around the world who will be trained and updated on any rule changes; the delegates will also work with Prince George’s local Competitions Committee to prepare the biathlon range for the 2019 World Championships as the para biathlon targets are different for Para Nordic competitions. For athletes with visual impairments, electronic rifles and targets are used. For athletes with limb impairments, air rifles are used. Both are at a distance of 10m from the firing line (instead of the 50m targets on our current biathlon range).

The Prince George Para Nordic World Championships will welcome the world and run from February 15-24, 2019. Approximately 140 athletes from 25 countries are expected to compete.

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