2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. This was the second time this city has hosted these championships, doing so previously at the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, having been voted at the 43rd FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
World Congress in Portorož
Portorož
- External links :**...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
on June 6, 2002. It also marked the third time these championships were hosted outside of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, USA in 1950 and Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1995 were the others.) in a non-Winter Olympic year, and the first that occurred in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The ski jumping team normal hill event was not held after being competed in 2005.
Highlights
- The big winner of the event was FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's Virpi KuitunenVirpi KuitunenVirpi Katriina Sarasvuo is a Finnish cross country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of fifth in the individual sprint event in those same games...
who won three golds (Team sprint, 30 km, and 4 x 5 km) and one bronze (Individual sprint). - 20-year old Astrid JacobsenAstrid JacobsenAstrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen is a Norwegian cross-country skier. She skis with the IL Heming club in Oslo, near Holmenkollen...
from NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
won three medals in women's cross country with a gold in the individual sprint and bronzes in the team sprint and 4 x 5 km. - Lars BergerLars BergerLars Berger is a Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier. Fellow biathlete Tora Berger is his sister. Berger's family moved to Lesja, Oppland, in 1985. At the age of six, Berger started cross-country skiing, but during his teens he decided to try out the biathlon.Berger joined the national...
of NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
became the first person to win medals at both the biathlonBiathlon World Championships 2007The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...
and nordic skiingNordic skiingNordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
world championships in the same year with Nordic skiing golds in the 15 km and 4 x 10 km events and a silver in the 4 x 7.5 km biathlon relay in Rasen-AntholzRasen-AntholzRasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in February. - Indoor skiing was held for the first time at the Sapporo DomeSapporo DomeThe is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:...
with the cross country sprint and the Nordic combined sprint events. - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Ronny AckermannRonny AckermannRonny Ackermann is a successful German Nordic combined skier.Ackermann started to learn to ski when he was five years old and took up ski-jumping two years later. As of 2004, he belongs to the team of Rhöner WSV Dermbach...
became the first person to win the Nordic combinedNordic combinedThe Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
15 km Individual Gundersen event in three straight championships. - HannuHannu ManninenHannu Kalevi Manninen is a Finnish nordic combined athlete. Debuting at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer at the age of 15, he took his first medal three years later at the age of 18 when he won silver in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships...
and Pirjo ManninenPirjo ManninenPirjo Muranen is a Finnish cross country skier who has competed since 1998. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver...
of Finland became the first brother and sister combination to win gold medals at the same championships with Hannu's wins in the Nordic combined 7.5 km sprint and 4 x 5 km team events and Pirjo's win in the women's 4 x 5 km cross country relay. - BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
earned their first championship medal with Leanid KarneyenkaLeanid KarneyenkaLeanid Karneyenka is a Belarusian cross country skier who has competed since 2005. He became the first Belarusian to win a medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships by winning a silver medal in the men's 15 km...
's surprise silver in the 15 km event. - Petra MajdičPetra MajdicPetra Majdič is a Slovenian former cross-country skier. Her best results came in classic style races. She won twenty-four World Cup races, twenty in sprint races, but she also won a marathon in Trondheim in 2009...
of SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
earned her first championship medal and the first for the nation both for women and in cross country skiing. - SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Simon AmmannSimon AmmannSimon Ammann is a Swiss ski jumper, and double Olympic Champion at both 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics.Ammann was born in Grabs, Switzerland, to Margit and Heinrich Ammann and raised in Unterwasser, Switzerland. He has two brothers and three sisters. He married Yana Yanovskaya on 25 June 2010...
won medals in both individual hill competitions (Silver: normal, gold: large) and had the longest jumps in the team large hill events. - Adam Małysz of PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
won his fourth world championship gold medal with the largest victory in the history of the individual normal hill event, his third win in event of the last four championships. - Despite being well run and well-organized, the championships attendance was only 90,000, mostly at the Sapporo Dome and the ski jumping hills of Miyanomori and OkurayamaMt. Okura Ski Jump StadiumThe , also known as the is a ski jumping venue located in the Miyanomori area in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Owned mostly by Sapporo City, the ski jump is placed on the eastern slope of the Mt. Okura. The stadium has hosted a number of winter sports events including 1972 Winter Olympics and...
. This amount was only a third of what was there at the previous games at OberstdorfOberstdorfOberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
. - A record 697 dopingDoping (sport)The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
tests were administered for the event, one of the largest in any international major sports outside of the Winter Olympics, including urineUrineUrine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
, EPOErythropoietinErythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
urine, bloodBloodBlood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
, blood transfusionBlood transfusionBlood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, and human growth hormone testing. One positive EPO urine control was found on Sergey ShiryayevSergey ShiryayevSergey Shiryayev is a Russian cross country skier who has been competing since 2002. His best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was 11th in the 15 km event at the 2007 event in Sapporo, but that result was declared null and void upon announcing Shiryayev's disqualification for...
, whose case resulted in a two-year suspension at the FIS Council meeting in Portorož, Slovenia in May 2007 (Two other coaches received sanctions from the Russian ski federation), and nine start prohibitions were issued following pre-competition blood control. The cost for all FIS controls (827 total) was over CHFSwiss francThe franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
1 million for the 2006-07 season at all skiing disciplines for all championships.
Mascot
The mascot of the championships was Norkey, an Ezo deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
(Ezo was the former name of Hokkaidō Island
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
in Japan) named for combining the words "Nordic" and "ski" who wears a scarf in the symbol colors around his neck.
World Cup discipline leaders prior to the World Championships
As of February 16, 2007, the top three World Cup positions were as follows:| Men | Leader | Second | Third |
| Nordic combined 2006-07 Nordic Combined World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Nordic Combined World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for nordic combined. Hannu Manninen, Finland won. The season started on 25 November 2006 and lasted until 18 March 2007... |
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| Ski jumping 2006-07 Ski Jumping World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup begun in Kuusamo, Finland on 24 November 2006 and finished in Planica, Slovenia on 25 March 2007. Adam Małysz, Poland won the individual World Cup... |
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| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Overall |
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| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Distance |
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| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Sprint |
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| Women | Leader | Second | Third |
| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Overall |
|||
| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Distance |
|||
| XC skiing 2006-07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup The 2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for cross-country skiers. The season began on 28 October 2006 with 800m sprint races for women in Düsseldorf which was eventually won by Marit Bjørgen of Norway... , Sprint |
Cross-country skiing's Tour de Ski
Tour de Ski
Tour de Ski is a cross-country skiing event held annually since 2007 in Central Europe, modeled on the Tour de France of cycling. Races have been held in the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy over eight days. The prize money for the event amounted to 1,055,000 Swiss francs , shared out on both men...
winners were Kuitunen for the women and Angerer for the men; both got 400 World Cup points for their respective TdS victories. Jacobsen won Ski jumping's Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
, and Manninen won Nordic combined's Tour of Germany
Tour of Germany
The Tour of Germany is a nordic combined event first established in Germany for the 2006-07 Nordic Combined World Cup season by the International Ski Federation....
.
The last officially published entry list included 485 athletes from 49 countries. This included 125 women from 33 nations and 197 men from 48 nations in Cross-country skiing, 68 men from 17 nations in Nordic combined, and 93 men from 21 nations in Ski jumping.
Non-sporting events leading up to the Championships
- Three-time Olympic and six-time World Championship medalist Masahiko HaradaMasahiko Haradais a Japanese ski jumper. He is best remembered for a meltdown at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and his subsequent redemption at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano....
(ski jumping) was appointed Ambassador to the championships on July 12, 2006. - Media accreditation closed on September 30, 2006. During the event, Hiroshi Takeuchi of the Kyodo NewsKyodo Newsis a nonprofit cooperative news agency based in Minato, Tokyo. It was established in November 1945 and it distributes news to almost all newspapers, and radio and television networks in Japan. The newspapers using its news have about 50 million subscribers. K. K. Kyodo News is Kyodo News' business...
(Japan) served as chief of the National Press and head of the Press Centers, and Kurt Henauer of the FIS served as International Press Chief. As of January 31, 2007, at least 1150 international media earned accreditation. - Members of the organizing committee attended a technical directors' seminar on cross country skiing in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on October 28–29, 2006 in an effort to expand cross country in Japan, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... - FIS Vice President Yoshiro Ito of Japan, who is also on the event's organizing committee, stated in an interview with FIS that he sees growth will develop among AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n nations following this event since skiingSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
in general is weak in Asia. - Sapporo Mayor and Event Organizing Committee Chair Fumio Ueda, in an FIS interview, stated that "I am convinced that the Championships - held in Asia for the first time - will provide many children and young people, our future leaders, with lofty dreams and great hopes, and will enable everyone around the globe to share the emotions of this event, thus contributing to the pursuit of world peace."
- 450 pre-competition dopingDoping (sport)The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
tests occurred for all cross country skiers and Nordic combined skiers coordinated by the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) with support from the FIS Doping Control Coordinator from the FIS-appointed specialist agency, IDTM. Post-competition doping results were conducted by JADA with urine samples taken during the press conferences. The testing samples were conducted by the World Anti-Doping AgencyWorld Anti-Doping AgencyThe World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
(WADA) testing facilities in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The top four athletes plus two randomly-chosen athletes in all events were subjected. Out-of-competition testing was also conducted as well, a program that began in the aftermath of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 doping scandal in LahtiLahtiLahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
that has been successful in the Winter Olympics of Salt Lake City (20022002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
) and TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
(20062006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
) and the World Championships of Val di FiemmeVal di Fiemmethumb|300px|Location of the Fiemme Valley in [[Trentino]].thumb|300px|The [[Lagorai]] seen from [[Passo Lusia]].Fiemme Valley is a valley in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region in northern Italy located in the Dolomites mountain region....
(2003) and OberstdorfOberstdorfOberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
(2005).
Participating nations
49 nations were listed on the preliminary entry list.| (1) (5) (8) (22) (12) (1) (3) (2) (18) (11) (2) (8) (1) (13) (1) (29) (19) | (1) (31) (5) (5) (1) (2) (19) (24) (28) (1) (2) (3) (1) (1) (1) (33) | (3) (8) (1) (4) (2) (32) (8) (15) (1) (6) (2) (18) (22) (3) (14) (19) |
Venues
- The ski jumping individual normal hill competition (and 15 km individual Gundersen) took place at Miyanomori (Hill Size (HS) of 100 m (HS100)) where the individual normal hill competition and the ski jumping competition of the Nordic combined at the 1972 Winter OlympicsNordic combined at the 1972 Winter Olympics-Men's event:-References:*...
took place. - The ski jumping individual and large hill competitions (and 7.5 km sprint and 4 x 5 km team) took place at Okurayama (HS of 134 m (HS134)) where the individual large hill competition of the 1972 Winter Olympics also took place.
- The Sapporo DomeSapporo DomeThe is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:...
hosted the opening ceremonies, individual and team cross country sprint events, the cross country portion of the 7.5 km Nordic combined sprint event, and the closing ceremonies of the championships. It marked the first time in the championship's history that a skiing event was held both indoors and in the evening. - The remaining cross country skiing events took place at the Shirahatayama cross-country course.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony took place on February 22, 2007 at 19:30 Japan Standard TimeJapan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
(JST) (10:30 UTC) at the Sapporo Dome, with 23,602 spectators. Mr. Fumio Ueda, Sapporo Mayor and Organizing Committee President, delivered a welcome speech, along with Ms. Yasuko Ikenobo, Deupty Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and Ms. Harumi Takahashi
Harumi Takahashi
is the present governor of the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaidō. She graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1976. She started her career as a bureaucrat in Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and quit in 2003....
, Governor of Hokkaido. His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino
Prince Akishino
Fumihito, The Prince Akishino is a member of the Japanese imperial family...
also delivered words of welcome, followed by numerous performances paying tribute to local traditions. After the opening ceremonies were completed, the men's and women's individual sprint cross country skiing competitions took place.
Attendance
Though the attendance on the first day of the championship, which included the opening ceremony, was nearly 30,000, the total attendance over the eleven days of the championships numbered around 90,000. Organizing Committee president Fumio Ueda admitted that the lack of good Japanese athletes – Japan only won one medal, a bronze in the ski jumping team large hill event, and the best individual finish came in the women's individual sprint with Madoka NatsumiMadoka Natsumi
Madoka Natsumi is a Japanese cross country skier who has competed since 1995. She earned the best individual finish of the host nation Japan at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo with a fifth place finish in the women's sprint event which was also her best individual finish at...
's fifth-place finish – meant that the interest was low. FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper
Gian-Franco Kasper
Gian-Franco Kasper is a Swiss ski official who has been president of the International Ski Federation since 1998...
also said he had expected higher crowds, particularly in the cross-country skiing races on the Shirahatayama course. Several newspapers slated the low turnout in headlines: Norwegian Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
called it a scandal, while Swedish Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
described it as a fiasco.
Cross country skiing
For more detailed information, please see the article Cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007Cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007
Cross-country skiing was one of the three disciplines of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007, held between February 22 and March 4, 2007 in Sapporo, Japan....
.
Medal table - men's cross country skiing
| Event | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual sprint classical | February 22 | |||
| Team sprint freestyle | February 23 | Renato Pasini Renato Pasini Renato Pasini is an Italian cross country skier who has been competing since 1996. He won the gold medal in the team sprint at the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo... Cristian Zorzi Cristian Zorzi Cristian Zorzi is an Italian cross country skier who excels at sprint ski races. He is nicknamed Zorro, for his exuberant character.... |
Nikolay Morilov Nikolay Morilov Nikolay Sergeyevich Morilov is a Russian cross country skier who has been competing since 2004. He won two medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a silver in the team sprint and a bronze in the individual sprint .Morilov has two individual victories at the junior level of cross... Vassili Rotchev |
Milan Šperl Milan Šperl Milan Šperl is a Czech cross country skier who has been competing since 2000. He won a bronze medal in the team sprint at the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo... Dušan Kožíšek Dusan Kozisek Dušan Kožíšek is a Czech cross country skier who has been competing since 2002. He won a bronze medal in the team sprint at the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf and finished 38th in the individual sprint in those same games... |
| 15 km freestyle interval start | February 28 | |||
| 15 km + 15 km double pursuit | February 24 | |||
| 50 km classical mass start | March 4 | |||
| 4 x 10 km relay | March 2 | Eldar Rønning Eldar Rønning Eldar Rønning is a Norwegian cross-country skier. He skis with the Skogn IL club, in Nord-Trøndelag. He's 178 cm tall and weighs 73 kg . He skis with Rossignol boots and skis, and Rottefella bindings.In 2004/05, he achieved three podium finishes in World Cup Sprint events, including a win at Reit... Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has competed since 1993.A classical technique specialist, Hjelmeset's biggest success is the gold medal in the 50 km event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo... Lars Berger Lars Berger Lars Berger is a Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier. Fellow biathlete Tora Berger is his sister. Berger's family moved to Lesja, Oppland, in 1985. At the age of six, Berger started cross-country skiing, but during his teens he decided to try out the biathlon.Berger joined the national... Petter Northug Petter Northug Petter Northug Jr. is a Norwegian cross country skier and double Olympic champion. He has 9 World Championship and Winter Olympic gold medals with 13 medals overall, and nine individual FIS Cross-Country World Cup wins with 20 podium places... |
Nikolai Pankratov Vassili Rotchev Alexander Legkov Alexander Legkov Alexander Gennadiyevich Legkov is a Russian cross country skier who has been competing since 2002... Yevgeny Dementyev |
Martin Larson Martin Larsson (1979 skier) Martin Larsson is a Swedish cross country skier who has been competing since 1999. He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 10 km at the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo and finished 79th in the 15 km event at those same championships.Larsson has a total of five victories at various... Mathias Fredriksson Mathias Fredriksson Mathias Fredriksson is a Swedish cross country skier who has competed since 1993. He earned a bronze medal in the 4 x 10 km at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... Marcus Hellner Marcus Hellner Marcus Hellner is a Swedish cross-country skier who has been competing since 2003.-Athletic career:Hellner had a total of seven victories in the junior levels of cross-country skiing up to 30 km from 2003 to 2005... Anders Södergren Anders Södergren Hans Anders Södergren is a Swedish cross-country skier who has competed since 1999. He earned a bronze medal in the 4x10 km relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and also finished 5th in the 15 km + 15 km double pursuit event at those same Olympics... |
Medal table - women's cross country skiing
| Event | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual sprint classical | February 22 | |||
| Team sprint freestyle | February 23 | Riitta-Liisa Roponen Virpi Kuitunen Virpi Kuitunen Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo is a Finnish cross country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of fifth in the individual sprint event in those same games... |
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998... Claudia Künzel-Nystad |
Astrid Jacobsen Astrid Jacobsen Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen is a Norwegian cross-country skier. She skis with the IL Heming club in Oslo, near Holmenkollen... Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen is a Norwegian cross country skier and triple olympic champion from Midtre Gauldal, Norway. Bjørgen is the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country World Cup history, with twenty-four victories. She is ranked first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings with forty-eight... |
| 10 km freestyle interval start | February 27 | |||
| 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit | February 25 | |||
| 30 km classical mass start | March 3 | |||
| 4 x 5 km relay | March 1 | Virpi Kuitunen Virpi Kuitunen Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo is a Finnish cross country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of fifth in the individual sprint event in those same games... Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Riitta-Liisa Roponen Pirjo Manninen Pirjo Manninen Pirjo Muranen is a Finnish cross country skier who has competed since 1998. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver... |
Stefanie Böhler Stefanie Böhler Stefanie Böhler is a German cross-country skier who has competed since 1999. She won a silver medal in the 4 x 5 km relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... Viola Bauer Viola Bauer Viola Bauer is a retired German cross-country skier who competed from 1995 to 2007... Claudia Künzel-Nystad Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998... |
Vibeke Skofterud Vibeke Skofterud Vibeke Westbye Skofterud is a Norwegian cross country skier who has been competing since 1999. She won gold in the 4 x 5 km relay at Vancouver in 2010... Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen is a Norwegian cross country skier and triple olympic champion from Midtre Gauldal, Norway. Bjørgen is the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country World Cup history, with twenty-four victories. She is ranked first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings with forty-eight... Kristin Størmer Steira Kristin Størmer Steira Kristin Størmer Steira is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has competed since 2002. At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, she has seven medals with two gold , two silvers , and three bronzes Kristin Størmer Steira (born April 30, 1981) is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has competed... Astrid Jacobsen Astrid Jacobsen Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen is a Norwegian cross-country skier. She skis with the IL Heming club in Oslo, near Holmenkollen... |
Men's Nordic combined
For more detailed information, please see the article Nordic combined at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007Nordic combined at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007
The Nordic combined at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 took place at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo, Japan on February 23, February 25, and March 3, 2007....
.
Medal table
| Event | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 km sprint | February 23 | |||
| 15 km Individual Gundersen | March 3 | |||
| 4 x 5 km freestyle team | February 25 | Anssi Koivuranta Anssi Koivuranta Anssi Koivuranta is a ski jumper, formerly nordic combined skier from Finland. Known for winning the 2008–09 FIS Nordic Combined World Cup... Janne Ryynänen Janne Ryynänen Janne Ryynänen is a Finnish Nordic combined athlete who has been competing since 2003. His ski club is Ounasvaaran hiihtoseura. One of his greatest achievements include a gold medal from 4 x 5 km team competition at Sapporo 2007, where he had the longest jump of the Finnish team... Jaakko Tallus Jaakko Tallus Jaakko Tapio Tallus is a nordic combined athlete from Finland who won gold and silver medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics... Hannu Manninen Hannu Manninen Hannu Kalevi Manninen is a Finnish nordic combined athlete. Debuting at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer at the age of 15, he took his first medal three years later at the age of 18 when he won silver in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships... |
Sebastian Haseney Sebastian Haseney Sebastian Haseney is a former German nordic combined skier who has competed since 1999. He won two silver medals in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and finished 8th in the 15 km individual event at the 1999 championships.Haseney finished 6th in the 15 km... Ronny Ackermann Ronny Ackermann Ronny Ackermann is a successful German Nordic combined skier.Ackermann started to learn to ski when he was five years old and took up ski-jumping two years later. As of 2004, he belongs to the team of Rhöner WSV Dermbach... Tino Edelmann Tino Edelmann Tino Edelmann is a German Nordic combined skier who has competed since 2001. He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km team event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.... Björn Kircheisen Björn Kircheisen Björn Kircheisen is a nordic combined athlete from Germany who has competed since 2000... |
Håvard Klemetsen Håvard Klemetsen Håvard Klemetsen is a Norwegian Nordic combined skier who has competed since 2002, representing Kautokeino I.L. He debuted in the World Cup in 2003. He has four 4 x 5 km team medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a gold in 2005 and bronze in 2007 and twice in 2011... Espen Rian Espen Rian Espen Rian is a Norwegian Nordic combined skier who has competed since 2002. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, he finished fifth in the 4 x 5 km team and 35th in the individual large hill event.... Petter Tande Petter Tande Petter Laukslett Tande is a Norwegian nordic combined skier who has been competing since 2002, representing Byåsen IL... Magnus Moan Magnus Moan Magnus Hovdal Moan born 26 August 1983 in Lillehammer, Norway; is a Norwegian nordic combined skier who has competed since 2002. Magnus moved from Lillehammer when he was two years old and has lived in Trondheim ever since. He skis with the Byåsen IL club. When he is not training or competing Moan... |
Men's ski jumping
For more detailed information, please see the article Ski jumping at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007Ski jumping at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007
The Ski jumping at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 was part of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 that took place in Sapporo, Japan on February 24, February 25, and March 3, 2007.-Individual normal hill:...
.
Medal table
| Event | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual normal (HS100) hill | March 3 | |||
| Individual large (HS134) hill | February 24 | |||
| Team large (HS134) hill | February 25 | Wolfgang Loitzl Wolfgang Loitzl Wolfgang "Wuff" Loitzl is an Austrian ski jumper who has competed since 1997. He won seven medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with six golds and one bronze .He earned a bronze medal in the team event at the FIS Ski-Flying World... Gregor Schlierenzauer Gregor Schlierenzauer Gregor Schlierenzauer - Schlieri is an Austrian ski jumper. He began his senior career in 2005–06 with one win and three additional podiums in the Ski Jumping Grand Prix, and made his World Cup debut in 2005—06 World Cup... Andreas Kofler Andreas Kofler Andreas "Kofi" Kofler is an Austrian ski jumper, and member of the Austrian National team .The first Ski jumping World Cup competition he won was in Willingen, Germany on 4 February 2006. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy he won gold in the team competition, together with Andreas... Thomas Morgenstern Thomas Morgenstern Thomas Morgenstern is an Austrian ski jumper. Having won the world cup twice, the Four Hills Tournament and the Nordic Tournament once each, the Grand Prix three times, and 12 gold medals at world championships and Olympic games, he is one of the most successful contemporary jumpers.- Career... |
Tom Hilde Tom Hilde Tom Hilde is a Norwegian ski jumper who has competed since 2005. Having first competed with the Norwegian World Cup team in 2006, he won two silver medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships .Hilde also won a bronze medal in the team event at the FIS Ski-Flying... Anders Bardal Anders Bardal Anders Bardal is a Norwegian ski jumper who has competed since 2001. He won two silver medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships... Anders Jacobsen Anders Jacobsen (ski jumper) Anders Jacobsen is a Norwegian ski jumper, representing Ringkollen Skiklubb, and the youngest Norwegian to have won the Four Hills Tournament. He has competed since 2003.-Early career:... Roar Ljøkelsøy Roar Ljøkelsøy Roar Ljøkelsøy is a Norwegian ski jumper. Ljøkelsøy's early career was not particularly brilliant. While considered almost flawless technically, he did not win an individual World Cup event until 25 January 2003, at age 26... |
Shohhei Tochimoto Shohhei Tochimoto is a Japanese ski jumper who has been competing since 2004. At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, he won two bronze medals in the team large hill .As of 2007, his best World Cup finish is 6th at Kuusamo in 2009... Takanobu Okabe Takanobu Okabe is a Japanese ski jumper who has competed in the ski jumping World Cup since 1990.His debut World Cup performance was on December 16, 1989 in Sapporo and at the moment he is the oldest ski jumper in a world of ski jumping... Daiki Ito Daiki Ito is a Japanese ski jumper who has competed since 2002. He won two bronze medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships .... Noriaki Kasai Noriaki Kasai , born June 6, 1972 in Shimokawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, is a Japanese ski jumper.Kasai holds a record for most performances in World Cup. To a date of March 23, 2011 he performed record 435 times in World Cup... |
Doping controversy
On February 21, 2007, Sergey ShiryayevSergey Shiryayev
Sergey Shiryayev is a Russian cross country skier who has been competing since 2002. His best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was 11th in the 15 km event at the 2007 event in Sapporo, but that result was declared null and void upon announcing Shiryayev's disqualification for...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
was involved in pre-competition testing for doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
with a blood and urine sample. The blood sample in the "A-test" turned out high in hemoglobin, so the "B-test" was evaluated and confirmed to contain EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
. Shiryayev, who had his best finish of 11th in the 15 km event at the championships, was subsequently disqualified on March 4, 2007. FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
President Gian Franco Kasper expressed both disappointment in Shiriaev's doping actions and happiness in the efficiency of FIS's doping controls. At the FIS Council Meeting in May 2007 at Portorož, Slovenia, Shiryayev received a two-year ban from FIS competition. (Two Russian coaches were also sanctioned, by the Russian ski federation.)
Post-Championship comments
FIS President Gian Franco Kasper expressed his thanks to the careful attention paid by FIS Vice-President (and Organizing Committee Chair) Yoshiro Ito over the detailed planning, arrangements, and execution of the championships, including televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
coverage. Kasper also expressed displeasure in the poor attendance of the events.
Medal table
Medal winners by nation.| 1 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 16 | |
| 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 18 | 18 | 18 | 54 |