Schladming easily wins bid to host 2013 alpine worlds

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Schladming easily outpaced the other three candidates in voting for the 2013 World Alpine Championships on Thursday at the FIS Congress as the Austrian venue earned 10 of a possible 16 votes from the FIS council to win on the first ballot.
    The United States and Colorado’s Beaver Creek/Vail, bidding to host alpine racing’s most prestigious event for the first time since 1999, could only manage four votes despite an intense lobbying effort. Beaver Creek/Vail also failed in its bid to win the 2009 Worlds as Val d’Isere was awarded that event.
    Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo and Switzerland’s St. Moritz were the other contenders for the 2013 event. Each finished well back in the voting, garnering one vote apiece. The winner of the event is determined by a simple majority and often there are multiple rounds of voting, with the lowest vote earner eliminated after that round.
    Other championship sites awarded  Thursday included the 2013 Snowboard World Championships to Stoneham, Canada; the 2013 Freestyle World Championships to Voss, Norway; the 2013 Nordic World Championships to Val di Fiemme, Italy; and the 2012 Ski Flying World Championships to Vikersund, Norway.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Schladming easily outpaced the other three candidates in voting for the 2013 World Alpine Championships on Thursday at the FIS Congress as the Austrian venue earned 10 of a possible 16 votes from the FIS council to win on the first ballot.
    The United States and Colorado’s Beaver Creek/Vail, bidding to host alpine racing’s most prestigious event for the first time since 1999, could only manage four votes despite an intense lobbying effort. Beaver Creek/Vail also failed in its bid to win the 2009 Worlds as Val d’Isere was awarded that event.
    Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo and Switzerland’s St. Moritz were the other contenders for the 2013 event. Each finished well back in the voting, garnering one vote apiece. The winner of the event is determined by a simple majority and often there are multiple rounds of voting, with the lowest vote earner eliminated after that round.
    Other championship sites awarded  Thursday included the 2013 Snowboard World Championships to Stoneham, Canada; the 2013 Freestyle World Championships to Voss, Norway; the 2013 Nordic World Championships to Val di Fiemme, Italy; and the 2012 Ski Flying World Championships to Vikersund, Norway.
    Schladming finished second in the voting for both the 2009 and 2011 World Alpine Championships so many observers noted that the resort in the heart of ski-crazy Austria was due to land a big event. For that reason, Schladming was viewed as the frontrunner, with Beaver Creek/Vail likely a strong second and a potential winner if the delegation could sway enough council voters.
    "While it is certainly disappointing to have not been able to bring home the 2013 Championships," said Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation, "we knew from the outset that Schladming was a strong front runner with great momentum. We congratulate Austria on its victory. We will now regroup and focus on creating our campaign for the 2015 Championships."
    "Congratulations to Schladming on its selection. Our U.S. Ski Team athletes look forward competing in Schladming, where we have a great history of success," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "Together with Beaver Creek/Vail, our focus will now turn to 2015 when we hope that the FIS will choose to come to America to showcase the sport in its largest global marketplace for the first time in 16 years. We're enthusiastic about working with our strong partner, the Vail Valley Foundation, to welcome the world in 2015, just a year after what we anticipate will be a stunning Olympics in Sochi."

Schroecksnadel stepping down from FIS Council   
Austrian Ski Federation Peter Schroecksnadel spoke at the award ceremony after Schladming’s win Thursday and made news himself, announcing that he was stepping down from his seat on the FIS Council and would not run for re-election. 
    “I just want to work with Schladming now,” Schroecksnadel said.
    Schroecksnadel’s recent time as head of the federation has been rocked by scandal. Two Austrian biathletes and two biathlon coaches were banned for life from the Austrian federation because of a blood doping scandal at the 2006 Torino Olympics, and the two coaches received lifetime Olympic bans as well. Four Austrian cross-country athletes also received lifetime bans from the Olympics for doping but were exonerated by their own federation.
    Ski Racing has learned that the Austrian federation will nominate Werner Wörndle to fill Schroecksnadel’s vacant seat on the FIS Council. Wörndle currently is the director of the St. Christof am Arlberg Ski Academy, one of the nation’s largest. Prior to that, Wörndle coached 11 years at the famed Stams Academy and served as the head coach for the Austrian national team from 1987 to 1996. Wörndle currently serves on the FIS Alpine World Cup committee as a representative of Austria.
    “This really came to me as a surprise,” Wörndle said.  “I’m not elected yet so we will see, but if I am elected I will work for the ski sport and the promotion of skiing in general.”
    The FIS General Congress will convene on Friday in Cape Town to elect the new council members. At present, 20 individuals are running for 16 open positions on the council.

    — Gary Black Jr. and Sam Flickinger contributed to this story

World Championships Voting

2012 FIS Ski Flying World Championships:
Vikersund (NOR) 11, Harrachov (CZE) 5 (one ballot)
 
2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships:
1st ballot: Val di Fiemme (ITA) 6,  Falun (SWE) 4, Zakopane (POL) 3, Lahti (FIN) 2, Oberstdorf (GER) 1
2nd ballot: Val di Fiemme (ITA) 7, Falun (SWE) 5, Zakopane (POL) 3, Lahti (FIN) 1
Last ballot: Val di Fiemme (ITA) 8, Falun (SWE) 5, Zakopane (POL) 2
 
2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
Schladming (AUT) 10, Beaver Creek/Vail 4, St. Moritz (SUI) 1, Cortina (ITA) 1 (one ballot)
 
2013 FIS Freestyle World Championships:
Voss (NOR) – unanimous
 
2013 FIS Snowboard World Championships:
Stoneham (CAN) – unanimous