The eighth Coordination Group Meeting for the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships was held via an online conference call that brought together the representatives from FIS, FISI, Infront, Fondazione Cortina 2021 and the Municipality of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
As always, the focus was on all the activities carried out by Fondazione Cortina 2021 in view of the international event—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 and would have been an international showcase for Cortina’s charm and hospitality. Nevertheless, much work had already been completed and many tests had already been carried out before the introduction of safety measures by the national and local authorities. Completed works include the upgrade of the slopes, the management of logistics in the Rumerlo area and the set-up of temporary structures in the competition venues (Grandstand, tents, TLC services, containers).
In particular, FIS could see that many infrastructure projects essential for the effective organisation of the event have been completed, for example the Olympia and Vertigine slopes in Tofana and the Lacedelli slope in Cinque Torri, the bypass in Rumerlo and the new Freccia nel Cielocable car, while 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 then considered. Given the uncertainty of the situation at the global level, common to all sports, Fondazione Cortina 2021 described the measures that are being taken into account to allow a good management of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. The project also involves the hypothesis that collateral services could be reconsidered in view of possible regulatory restrictions that could lead to a reduced number of expected spectators.
FIS agreed that the overall cost should be recalculated and urged a fruitful collaboration with all the actors involved (hoteliers, transport, people providing various services…) in order to face together a situation difficult for everyone.
Fondazione Cortina 2021, for what lies with it, assured that it is absolutely determined to complete the final phase of the organisation of the World Ski Championships. In particular, managing and accommodating the public is an absolute priority for the Foundation, which is fully committed to ensuring the health and safety of all those who will take part in the World Championships—athletes, coaches, journalists, volunteers and operators, visitors and local citizens.
In this context, the implementation of the infrastructure necessary for the efficient organisation of the competitions, as well as the implementation of the ancillary structures, are still guaranteed. In this case, too, 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.
“The work done so far has been positively assessed by FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis,” 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. However, we are facing a global health crisis that forces us to focus only on the near future. Today making predictions is difficult, but we have confirmed our willingness to have constant contacts with the main stakeholders (FIS, FISI, Infront and the Italian authorities), so that we can continuously 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 peculiar 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”.
Cortina 2021 Press release