THE CROSS-COUNTRY WORLD CUP COMES TO GOMS

In one year's time, the international cross-country skiing elite will compete in Goms in January 2024. Guaranteed snow, challenging courses and a state-of-the-art infrastructure guarantee unforgettable competitions. The Nordic Center Goms will be duly opened by hosting the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup.

A cross-country world cup where cross-country skiing is at home and where winter lives up to its name: This is what Goms promises. As the Swiss venue for the Cross-Country World Cup, Goms is now provisionally on the 2023/24 World Cup calendar of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Four World Cup races are to be held in the Nordic Center, for which a total of around 200 athletes are expected. The World Cup is organized by a local OC in collaboration with Swiss-Ski and with the support of the municipalities of Goms and Obergoms. The FIS Council will finalize the competition calendar for next season at its meeting in May and officially confirm the venues.

"With the Cross-Country World Cup, we have the chance to position Goms even more strongly on the international stage as an attractive competition and training location," says Chantal Carlen, OC President of the World Cup. "The event will have an enormous radiance for Nordic skiing throughout Switzerland, which will also spur on the local young talent to top performances at world level."

The infrastructure of the extended and expanded Nordic Center will allow spectators to overlook large parts of the course from the stands and experience the competitions up close. Numerous side events will also turn the World Cup weekend into a true cross-country skiing festival.

"At the latest since 2018, when Goms hosted the Nordic Junior World Championships together with Kandersteg, it has been back in the conversation as a potential venue for major competitions, also internationally," says Doris Kallen, coordinator of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. Thanks to the experience of recurring events and a well-developed infrastructure, she says it is now time for Goms to take the next step.

"We are delighted to welcome Goms as a new Swiss World Cup organizer alongside Davos, Val Müstair, Lenzerheide and Engadin. For our athletes, the home World Cups are a highlight and a special motivation every time," says Lars Brönnimann, Head of Cross-Country Skiing at Swiss-Ski.

Competitions like a winter fairy tale

The Goms is snow-sure and snow-rich. Even this winter, when the lack of snow was more severe than ever before, it was possible to maintain part of the cross-country skiing network in Goms. This is also thanks to the snowmaking system available at the Nordic Center, which allows the trails to be prepared even in precarious conditions. Therefore, both the athletes and the spectators can count on competitions like in a winter fairy tale.

It is not for nothing that Goms is the cross-country skiing paradise par excellence. Frédéric Favre, State Councillor of the Canton of Valais, says: "With its 100 km of trails, Goms is one of the best cross-country skiing destinations in the Alps. As Minister of Sport, I am proud that the Valais government is financially supporting the construction of the Nordic Center, which will give the region even more international appeal and allow it to host major events like these World Cup races, which are a great showcase for our canton."

Contact for inquiries:
medien@weltcup-goms.ch

Further information and images:
www.weltcup-goms.ch

Partner websites:
www.goms.ch/loipe-goms/infrastruktur
www.nordischeszentrum-goms.ch
www.swiss-ski.ch
www.fis-ski.com