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Tag: Thomas Wassberg

  • Lake Placid Set to Host World Cup Finals with Full Festival Lineup March 19–22

    Lake Placid Set to Host World Cup Finals with Full Festival Lineup March 19–22

    Stifel Lake Placid Finals, a Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup, to Bring Elite Ski Racing and Winter Festival Atmosphere to Lake Placid

    FIS Cross-Country World Cup racing, fan experiences, athlete engagement, and live entertainment coming March 19–22

    LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The Stifel Lake Placid Finals, a Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup, will offer more than world-class competition this March. The event will transform Lake Placid into a multi-day winter sports festival featuring themed race days, live entertainment, film screenings, interactive expo activations, and family-friendly programming.

    In collaboration with the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), the 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) has curated a dynamic schedule that celebrates Nordic skiing and outdoor winter-sport culture.

    A central focus of the week will be spotlighting women and girls in sport, networking opportunities, and hands-on activities. Fans will also have unique opportunities to connect with athletes through meet-and-greets, alumni celebrations, and special legacy moments — including Sunday’s “Last Lap” ceremony honoring retiring World Cup athletes.

    Together, these events are designed to foster engagement, connection, and shared celebration across the Lake Placid community and the global ski family.

    One final celebration of Jessie Diggins (USA) amazing career. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)

    Event & Community Programming

    In addition to World Cup racing, the Stifel Lake Placid Finals will feature a range of community events, athlete appearances, and festival programming throughout the week. Activities include youth programming, athlete conversations, live music, demonstrations, and opportunities for fans to connect with past and present champions.

    Programming details may evolve, and additional events may be added throughout the week. Visitors are encouraged to check the official event schedule for the most up-to-date information.

    Thursday, March 19 – Community & Kickoff

    Opening day features official training and festival programming at Mt Van Hoevenberg, along with an evening film screening at the Palace Theatre that kicks off the festivities in downtown Lake Placid.

    Friday, March 20 – Theme: Past

    Friday celebrates the legacy of Nordic skiing and Olympic history in Lake Placid. The venue opens with festival programming, including the NENSA Terrain Park and Expo with L.L. Bean, regional athlete recognition connected to the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Adirondack Birds of Prey demonstrations. Fans can also watch presentations from the 10th Mountain Division, enjoy live music, and attend athlete interviews and meet-and-greets throughout the day.  A highlight of the afternoon is the “One More Lap” legacy ski, featuring international and U.S. Ski Team alumni, including Olympic legend Thomas Wassberg and American champion Bill Koch, before World Cup racing and awards ceremonies conclude the day.

    Saturday, March 21 – Theme: Future

    Saturday’s programming focuses on the next generation of Nordic skiing. Activities include the NENSA Terrain Park and Expo with L.L. Bean, athlete appearances, and fan engagement opportunities.  The Women in Sports Heroic Panel highlights leadership and opportunities for girls and women in athletics, while fans can also attend athlete meet-and-greets and participate in interactive programming throughout the venue.  Competition highlights include the freestyle sprint finals, followed by Crystal Globe presentations. Youth racing also takes center stage with the World Cup Future Stars Sprint.  Additional programming includes Lollipoppers to Olympians: A Celebration of New England Skiing, a live recording of the Skirious Podcast featuring Ben Ogden and special guests at the Olympic Jumping Complex, and evening film screenings at the Palace Theatre.

    Sunday, March 22 – Theme: Present

    Championship Sunday features entertainment, athlete appearances, and the season-ending races of the World Cup Finals. Live music, a DJ set, and ceremonial elements, including the 10th Mountain Division Color Guard and flyover, set the stage for the final competition.  The afternoon concludes with awards ceremonies and the “One Last Lap” ceremony honoring retiring World Cup athletes.

    Gus Schumacher (USA) and Ben Ogden (USA), (l-r) celebrate their silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

    Competition Schedule | FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals

    Mt Van Hoevenberg | March 19–22, 2026

    World Cup official training and competition runs March 19–22 at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, where the world’s top U.S. and international cross-country skiers will compete for overall and discipline Crystal Globe honors. The weekend culminates on Sunday with championship racing, awards presentations, and the “One Last Lap” ceremony recognizing retiring athletes.

    Full competition schedule:

    Thursday, March 19, 2026: 
    11:00 – 1:00 pm | 10km Official Training
    1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Sprint Official Training

    Friday, March 20, 2026: 
    1:00 pm | Women’s 10km Interval Start Classic
    3:00 pm | Men’s 10km Interval Start Classic

    Saturday, March 21, 2026: 
    10:30 am | Women’s Sprint Qualification Free
    10:30 am | Men’s Sprint Qualification Free
    1:00 pm | Women’s Sprint Final Free
    1:00 pm | Men’s Sprint Final Free

    Sunday, March 22, 2026: 
    12:30 pm | Men’s 20km Mass Start Free
    2:30 pm | Women’s 20km Mass Start Free

    Jessie Diggins (USA) and the US Ski Team celebrate in Goms. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)

    Broadcast Schedule

    NBC will air the Sprint Finals live on Saturday, March 21, from 1–2 p.m. ET. CNBC will air coverage of the Men’s and Women’s 10km Interval Starts on Saturday, March 21, from 2–4 p.m. ET. NBC will also air the Women’s 20km Mass Start on Saturday, March 29, from 1–2 p.m. ET on tape delay.

    For the latest schedule updates, event details, and ticket information, visit the official Stifel Lake Placid Finals event page: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/xcworldcupfinals/

    The schedule is weather- and condition-dependent and may be subject to change.

    Tickets & Media:

    Tickets are on sale: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/xcworldcupfinals/

    Media credential applications: https://orda.org/media/press-room/#tab+media-credentials

  • Stockholm Chief of Competition Aiming for “Best in the World” Event

    Stockholm Chief of Competition Aiming for “Best in the World” Event

    Athletes previewing the palace sprint course in downtown Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday.

    All 2012 FIS World Cup Finals coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Fischer Sports USA, proud sponsors of Kikkan Randall, 2012 overall Sprint Cup Champion.

    STOCKHOLM, Sweden — On Wednesday afternoon, the Royal Palace Sprint in Stockholm, Sweden will bring to a close what cold be termed the “Year of the City-Sprint” on the World Cup circuit.

    With no World Championships or Olympics the International Ski Federation (FIS) took advantage of the resulting schedule flexibility, and added an additional two city-sprints to the usual stops in Dusseldorf, Drammen and Stockholm.

    With Milan, Italy and Moscow, Russia on the calendar, sprinters faced a variety of courses and interesting locales.

    It is hard to rank the venues—who can say that racing along the Rhine in Germany is better than on the front lawn of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan or vice versa?

    Business almost as usual for the palace guards.

    But there is no doubt that the Stockholm sprint more than holds it own. Running right along the doorstep of the Royal Palace in Sweden’s capital, the course overlooks the Riddarfjärden bay, dropping down nearly to the water’s edge before climbing back up the finish.

    Royal guards continue their stoic watch, and boats navigate the icy waters as the top sprinters in the world do battle on 5,000 cubic meters of snow trucked five kilometers from a nearby alpine area.

    According to the Chief of Race Göran Nilsson, not just any snow will do.

    “Not only snow, but white, good snow,” Nilsson told FasterSkier in an interview on Tuesday evening in Stockholm.

    The two key components of pulling of a successful race, says Nilsson is the snow and the volunteers.

    In his fourth year working on the event—one as a technical delegate and now three as either the Chief of Competition or Assistant Chief of Competition—Nilsson has set a high bar.

    “When you have done it seven times, each year you take one more step up and one more step up. And this year we will be the best in the world,” Nilsson said.

    The snow to make it happen started arriving on Sunday at 9:00, and the last load was delivered Tuesday at noon. Racers could preview all of the course but for the final hill to the finish in the afternoon.

    A Stockholm Pisten Bulley getting the course ready for Wednesday's sprint.

    Two small Pisten Bulleys are on-hand to prepare the tracks, one of which is piloted by none other than Thomas Wassberg—the great bearded Swedish cross-country champion.

    Wassberg hails from the north of Sweden, but made his fifth trip down for the Stockholm sprints this year.

    “People look up to him, and he comes with his hair and his beard and rrrrrrr,” Nilsson said, pantomiming a hulking figure.

    “He is one of the best skiers in Sweden and he is still working on the floor,” Nilsson continued, referring to the fact that Wassberg is still very much involved with the sport on a day-to-day basis. “He is a very nice man, a very good sportsman and coach and leader and machine driver,” Nilsson said.

    The great Swede is one of over 100 volunteers working on the event. The majority hail from one of seven Stockholm clubs.

    With most having multiple Royal Palace Sprints under their belts, Nilsson said his focus is not on the technical details, which the volunteers have down pat, but on providing the best overall experience.

    This is the core of his goal of being the best in the world.

    “I tell them that every person coming here, athletes, coaches, spectators, media, all of them are our guests, and we have to give them what they want when they come,” Nilsson explained.

    Checking out the course.

    He wants everyone to leave thinking “it is a professional event, I will come back here, thank you very much.”

    He also points to a level of attention to detail that may be overlooked elsewhere, saying “you will find all signs perfect, not handwritten, they will all be straight. The tracks and all around will be perfect.”

    This year there is an added incentive to perform beyond a commitment to excellence.

    Nilsson said that FIS has not put Stockholm on the World Cup calendar for next year, and with 2014 featuring pre-World Championships (the big event will be in Falun in 2015), there would not be another race in the city until at least then.

    At this point he has “no idea” as to why FIS may take away the event next season though he believes the best way to keep the race is to “do the very best.”

    The current draft schedule for the 2013 season does not have a substitute event listed.

    Nilsson is hoping for as many as 15,000 spectators on Wednesday.

    One climb on Stockholms sprint course goes right up the palace steps.

    “Skiing is very popular in Sweden,” Nilsson said, “and we are proud about it to have his majesty the King in our ski family.

    Carl the 16th Gustav is a big supporter of the sport. He will travel to Falun for the rest of the World Cup Finals, and his son recently completed the Vasaloppet.

    The weather is predicted to be sunny and warm, making for ideal spectating, and Nilsson foresees no problems, predicting that temperatures will drop low enough for the tracks to set up hard.

    And despite long hours and complicated logistics, Nilsson, who served as the chair of the Swedish Ski Federation for a decade, beginning in 1995 at the Thunder Bay World Championships, loves the event.

    “People around here they wonder what kind of person is working on this,” he said of many of the city-dwellers. “But you must be a little bit here,” he pause pointing to his temple and swirling his finger in a “crazy” gesture before continuing, “if you work this type of event.”