With the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events this week in Crans Montana (SUI) and Kvitfjell (NOR) followed by the World Cup Finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) next week, the season is entering the decisive phase after the conclusion of the Vancouver Olympics.
Before the Finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Crans-Montana will host the last round of the ladies Alpine Skiing World Cup, featuring downhill, super G and and combined competitions, while Kvitfjell will run a men's World Cup downhill and super G.
The Audi FIS Ski World Cup finals will serve as the ultimate test for Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the host of the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, from the 10th to the 14th of March 2010. "The media attention, the number of spectators and athletes will be not as high as for the World Championships, although it will be a very important test event for us", so Peter Fischer, co-managing director of the OC GAP 2011. "It is a great honor for us to host the best skiers of the world in Garmisch-Partenkirchen."
The Finals 2010 will serve both as a test and as a promotional event for spectators to experience what is in store for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011. The Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals 2010 will also see the Nations' Team Event pilot a new format as a parallel giant slalom race. Following the proposal of the FIS Alpine Executive Board, the event will be staged in a parallel format on the Kandahar slope in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) on 14th March 2010 starting at 11 CET.
Following the introduction of the Nations Team Event at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Bormio (ITA) 2005, the new format has been developed by an expert group of the Alpine Executive Board in response to feedback collected from various stakeholders, including the National Ski Associations, teams, athletes, marketing agencies and the media. Following the finals, the event will be assessed and a proposal made to the FIS Council regarding the competition format to be used at the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Qualification for the World Cup Finals:
Introduced in 1993, the World Cup Finals take place at the end of the season in mid-March. For both men and ladies a downhill, super G, giant slalom and slalom are carried out all within 4-5 days. Only the best 25 racers of each discipline are allowed to compete in the Finals. Racers who scored at least 500 points in the overall standings as well as the current World Junior champion in each discipline are also on the list of participants. At the Finals, only the top 15 of each event will receive World Cup points. Since 2006, there is also a Nations Cup standing.
During the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Finals alone, 400 points per gender will be awarded. So far only the men's super combined title has been decided, with Benjamin Raich (AUT) emerging with the small globe.
Schedule for World Cup Finals 2010 at Garmisch:
Tuesday, March 9: Ladies and men's downhill training
Wednesday, March 10: Downhill Ladies and Men, Kandahar
Thursday, March 11: Giant slalom Ladies, Super-G Men, Kandahar
Friday, March 12: Super G Ladies, Giant Slalom Men, Kandahar
Saturday, March 13: Slalom Ladies and Men, Gudiberg
Sunday, March 14: Nations Team Event, Kandahar
Prize Money Ranking (before March World Cups)
Before the final World Cup events in Crans-Montana, Kvitfjell and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup prize money rankings are led by Kitzbühel winner and currently 3rd ranked Didier Cuche for the men and the many time season winner and ladies overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn for the ladies.
Men: 1. Didier Cuche (SUI) 289'100 CHF/192'733 Euro. 2. Carlo Janka (SUI) 240'637/160'425. 3. Benjamin Raich (AUT) 184'276/122'850. 4. Marcel Hirscher (AUT) 172'600/115'066. 5. Reinfried Herbst (AUT) 171'575/114'383. 6. Ivica Kostelic (CRO) 155'125/103'416. 7. Julien Lizeroux (FRA) 145'812/97'208. 8. Ted Ligety (USA) 124'525/83'016. 9. Michael Walchhofer (AUT) 123'250/82'166. 10. Felix Neureuther (GER) 115'500/77'000.
Ladies: 1. Lindsey Vonn (USA) 387'950/258'633. 2. Maria Riesch (GER) 286'450/190'966. 3. Kathrin Zettel (AUT) 248'750/165'833. 4. Anja Pärson (SWE) 171'150/114'100. 5. Sandrine Aubert (FRA) 141'500/94'333. 6. Marlies Schild (AUT) 119'750/79'833. 7. Tanja Poutiainen (FIN) 105'500/70'333. 8. Tina Maze (SLO) 103'300/68'866. 9. Kathrin Hölzl (GER) 101'575/67'716. 10. Fabienne Suter (SUI) 75'000/50'000.
