Kasper, FIS praise preparations at Val d'Isere

With 142 days remaining until the opening ceremony, FIS officials on Tuesday and Wednesday made their final inspection of the Val d’Isere venue that will host the 2009 World Alpine Ski Championships in February 2009.
    During a day of competition site inspections followed by an all-day review session, a large group led by FIS President Gian Franco Kasper and Secretary General Sarah Lewis reviewed the status of event organization for the fourth FIS Alpine World Ski Championships ever held in France.
    “It is clear to us that the organizing committee has put in enormous efforts and we were pleased to see the high level of their preparation in all areas,” Kasper said after the seven-hour meeting.
With 142 days remaining until the opening ceremony, FIS officials on Tuesday and Wednesday made their final inspection of the Val d’Isere venue that will host the 2009 World Alpine Ski Championships in February 2009.
    During a day of competition site inspections followed by an all-day review session, a large group led by FIS President Gian Franco Kasper and Secretary General Sarah Lewis reviewed the status of event organization for the fourth FIS Alpine World Ski Championships ever held in France.
    On behalf of the organizing committee, presided over by Val d’Isere Mayor Marc Bauer, 2009 World Championships Director General Jean Luc Fabre guided discussion of the details of current preparations in all areas of the event, from sports organization to marketing and promotion to security, transport, accommodation and accreditation.
    “It is clear to us that the organizing committee has put in enormous efforts and we were pleased to see the high level of their preparation in all areas,” Kasper said after the seven-hour meeting.
    “After the crisis year of 2007, with several structural and organizational changes, we now have a very motivated organizing team with substantial expertise and highly experienced people. We at FIS are 100 percent sure that it will be an excellent event that will serve to promote the sport of skiing worldwide, from exciting competitions on excellent courses to all-round celebration of our sport. Clearly, there is still much to do, such as completing the main press center construction, but with four months remaining, we are extremely optimistic that we will see truly extraordinary championships here in Val d'Isere.”
    Sarah Lewis added: “I can speak for all the FIS professionals in saying that we are very positively attuned to see the great evolution of the work here. We have supported the team here through all the ups and downs in the last year and the organizing committee will have our full confidence and assistance until the last day of the championships in February 2009.”
    The 2009 Alpine World Championships are scheduled for Feb. 2-15. The event will be broadcast live by at least 25 television stations and will be watched by tens of millions of TV viewers daily. The key pillars of the championships include the two racing slopes sitting directly opposite each other; great consideration for the environment; a winter festival; and for the first time, free access and transportation to all visitors to the competitions and side events.
    The Val d’Isere 2009 organizing committee, supported by regional and provincial governments, is launching an online invitation that will allow spectators to travel to Val d’Isere for free by public transportation from within the region. The invitation will be launched in the area of Savoie by Jean-Claude Killy, one the event’s ambassadors, on Saturday, Sept, 13. The organizers expect 200,000 total on-site spectators during the 13 days of racing.

    Click here to listen to an interview in French with Kasper on the state of Val d'Isere's organization.