Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo (2011)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana I'm in Seefeld waiting for the Nordic World Ski Championships to start. The previous edition, held in Lahti, saw my debut as a blogger, with the days of 2nd March , 3rd and 4th. Then, due to other commitments, I was there in the last days (but skipping the last, with the boring 50 km mass start), this time I am here for the first ones, more interesting, especially for Italians. Before Lahti, I had already been to Nordic World Ski Championships three times: Lahti 2001, Val di Fiemme 2003 and Oslo 2011: this time I will tell you about the last one.

It is always nice to see skiing in Oslo, not only because of its tradition, but also because you are in a big city, also a very beautiful one. The stadium is about 8 km from the centre: they encouraged to walk, but for me 8 km in the snow and with -10 degrees were a bit too much and I preferred to take the underground (which is overground outside the centre). I met interesting people, from various fans, also Italians, to one who as a boy had been a ski jumper , also beating a future medal at the Ski-Flying World Championships.

The first day was the most interesting for Italians: it started with the sprint, where the young Pellegrino won the silver. I saw it from a tribune a little out of the stadium, so I could not see the finish very well. We continued with the women's jumping competition, a debut at the World Championships, with the incredible silver of the Italian Runggaldier (if I'm not mistaken, after 6th place in the first run) and another Italian in the top 10 place: Irashko of Austria was so superior that she started one gate lower (and then there was no compensation for wind and gate yet).

The next day I saw the award ceremony in the centre, in the Medal Plaza (they too had adopted the fashion started in Turin) The first 6 took the stage: in the women's jumping 14-year-old Takahashi of Japan, then sixth. was presented first. In the main square (but on the opposite side) there was Casa Italia, which unlike many other times was open to common spectators, even at dinner: I saw Italian female jumpers having dinner with French male ones.

Of the other races I remember especially the Nordic combination, from the normal hill. Unlike the large one, which is right behind the arrival of the cross-country track, the normal hill is far away: to get from there to the cross-country trails it's 850 meters (at least they say, but they seemed more) uphill, even steep . I saw a woman pull a sled with a child, and no one offered to help her, because for a Norwegian it's no big deal. For cross-country, I was in a tribune near the biathlon shooting. Before the start the fog came down, and in the first half of the race I saw the athletes only when they passed right under the grandstand.

I also remember the women's 10 km and the men's 15, with Cologna 's win (I think) in the latter: my last chance, so far, to see an old-style race, with time-trial starts. If I saw those, I suppose I also saw the skiathlon, but my aversion to mass starts is such that I do not remember anything. And on Saturday, I will see another one ...