FIS World Cup event opens
Wednesday in Lake Placid
LAKE PLACID — The New York Olympic Regional Development
Authority will host the 2006 Lamb Lumber FIS World
Cup Nordic Combined “B”, Dec. 20-21 at the Olympic
Ski Jumping Complex and Whiteface Mountain. A lack
of snow at Mount Van Hoevenberg forced ORDA to move
cross country ski segments of the competition to
Whiteface.
More than 59 athletes from 11 nations are scheduled
to compete in Lake Placid.
“We’re very excited that Whiteface has extended
us this chance to keep the tradition going,” said
Lake Placid’s Joe Lamb, assistant technical delegate
of the competition.
The first day of competition, Wednesday, features
the 10 kilometer Mass Start at 7:30 a.m. on a one-kilometer
cross country ski loop in and around the Mixing
Bowl trail at Whiteface. The 90-meter ski jump will
complete the event at 1 p.m.
The Mass Start Team Sprint, an exciting first time
event featuring two-man teams alternating laps,
takes place on Thursday. Utilizing the same 1k loop,
each competitor will ski seven laps. The competition
begins at 7:30 a.m. Its corresponding jumping event
will begin at 1 p.m. from the 90-meter hill.
Awards ceremonies will immediately follow each event
at the ski jumping venue.
“The quality of the field will be quite high here,”
continued Lamb. “Germany, Austria, Norway and France
will be strong as will be the United States.”
The World Cup “B” campaign held its opening event
Dec. 9 in Steamboat Springs, Colo. before moving
to Park City and Soldier Hollow, both in Utah, this
week. Brett Camerota, of Park City, took second
and fourth in the two Colorado events to lead all
Americans. Upon conclusion of the Lake Placid competitions,
10 athletes will advance to the World Cup “A” level
and 10 will drop from “A” to “B”.
Prior to these events, a tryout was conducted for
U.S. athletes in Steamboat Springs. Qualifying for
World Cup “B” starts were: Willy Graves of Putney,
Vt., who attended the National Sports Academy in
Lake Placid. Graves finished 11th on the strength
of 13th place in jumping and seventh in skiing.
Peter Freire, a New England native now training
in Lake Placid, was 18th in jumping, 15th in cross
country and 15th overall. Colin Delaney of Lake
Placid placed 22nd after jumping into 24th position
and skiing to 21st place. Alex Madden of Saranac
Lake sailed into 19th place and skied to 27th for
an overall placing of 23rd. All four are members
of the New York Ski Educational Foundation Nordic
program.
Lamb also stated that three-time Olympian Bill Demong
of Vermontville, who represents Lake Placid on the
World Cup tour, will return home for the holidays
at that time and may enter the second Lake Placid
race.
Admission to the 2006 Lamb Lumber FIS World Cup
Nordic Combined “B” competition is $9 for adults
and $6 for juniors and seniors daily. This includes
a chairlift and elevator ride to the Sky Deck atop
the 120-meter ski jump tower. Spectator access to
the start/finish areas of the cross-country races
at Whiteface Mountain free of charge.
For more information on ORDA venues and events and
for web cams from five locations, log on to www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.
