8th Cortina 2021 Coordination Group Meeting Held

The eighth Coordination Group Meeting for the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships was held last Wednesday via an online conference call that brought together the representatives from FIS, FISI, Infront, Cortina 2021 Organising Committee and the Municipality of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The focus was on all the activities carried out by the Cortina 2021 Organisers including infrastructure projects, operations, sport, sustainability, marketing and communication.

Last March it was not possible to host the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals, which would have served as a test event for the World Ski Championships. Nevertheless, much work had already been completed and many tests had already been completed. The upgrade of the slopes, the management of logistics at the Competition Venue in the Rumerlo area and the set-up of temporary structures were already in place.

Many infrastructure projects essential for the effective organisation of the event have been completed, for example, the competition courses, Olympia and Vertigine slopes in Tofana and the Lacedelli slope in Cinque Torri, the bypass in Rumerlo and the new Freccia nel Cielo cable car. The works on the Labirinti slope, the construction of the bypass in the Druscié area, the road in Gilardon and the construction of the Son dei Prade - Bai de Dones link will all be completed by December 2020.

The different scenarios that can be envisaged due to the coronavirus, which will inevitably affect the event, were also discussed. Given the uncertainty of the situation, the Cortina 2021 Organisers are taking into account various measures to allow a good management of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Including a hypothesis that a number of services could be reconsidered in view of possible regulatory restrictions that could lead to a reduced number of expected spectators.

In this context, everything will be done in full compliance with the health regulations in force and with the adoption of the social distancing and individual protection measures imposed by the health authorities. 

FIS agreed that the overall scope of potential measures and the implications should be reviewed in detail between all parties and urged a fruitful collaboration with all involved to face together the current situation which is difficult for everyone.

“The work done so far has been positively assessed by FIS,” commented Valerio Giacobbi, CEO of Fondazione Cortina 2021. “We have infrastructure complete and a fantastic team that can ensure that the upcoming FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will be organised in the best way possible. Today making predictions is difficult, but we have confirmed our willingness to have constant contacts with the main stakeholders, so that we can monitor the situation and set an organisational and managerial structure that can combine the many different needs of such a great event in such a unique scenario. We hope that Cortina 2021 can be the first major sports event to be held after the Covid pandemic, a symbol of rebirth and revival for the whole country".