Norwegian Team’s World Championship Plan

Will be living outside Sapporo

The Norwegian team will be staying at the same hotel as the British and German soccer teams stayed at during the soccer World Cup in Japan and South Korea in 2002. The hotel is located right outside Sapporo.

– We chose this hotel since we will have skiing right outside the hotel and it’s outside the city. I believe that other nations will choose this hotel as well, says Skinnstad.

– There is a 4.5-kilometer ski trail right outside the hotel.

Skinnstad isn’t going to risk the same situation the team experienced during the Torino Olympics with lots of sickness. He has therefore booked rooms at two other hotels as well.

– We have rooms at two other hotels in case of illness. We don’t want someone with for example stomach problems at the same hotel as someone with throat problems. Every illness is different and we want options, says Skinnstad.

Good conditions.

Skinnstad also looked at the race courses in Sapporo. 1/3 of the sprint course will be inside in the Sapporo Dome, while the rest of the course is outside. It will be a mix of man-made and natural snow. The Dome can hold 40,000 spectators.

The conditions at Shirahatayama, the main stadium have been greatly improved since this winters pre-Worlds competitions.

Both the infrastructure and trail have been improved, says Skinnstad.

Sapporo also hosted the 1972 Olympics and the Olympic 50-k course passed through today’s stadium.

One big additional challenge for many teams might be left hand driving!

Photos from SAPPORO: