Atle Skaardal to run FIS women's alpine World Cup; Kurt Hoch officially done May 1, 2005

Atle Skaardal to run FIS women’s alpine World Cup; Kurt Hoch officially done May 1, 2005{mosimage}We are pleased to announce the appointment of Atle Skaardal to the position of FIS Chief Race Director for Ladies. He will commence his new position officially from 1st May 2005.

After 14 years of loyal service to the International Ski Federation in the role as FIS Chief Race Director for Ladies, Kurt Hoch has decided to look for other challenges. FIS is extremely grateful for the outstanding service he provided throughout the years and wishes him all the best in the future.

A number of highly qualified candidates applied for the position of FIS Chief Race Director for Ladies and FIS has finally chosen to appoint former alpine skier and current chief coach of the Norwegian national men’s alpine ski team, Atle Skaardal (NOR).

‘We are extremely grateful to Kurt Hoch for his dedication and loyal service to FIS though 14 years and we are very excited to have a former athlete with such immense experience within the FIS Alpine skiing circuit join us’ says FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. ‘We are convinced that Atle will do a great job for us in the years to come and that he will be a great initiator in the continuous development of ladies’ alpine skiing’.

Atle Skaardal was one of Norway’s leading skiers and a member of the national team from 1983 1997. Aged 39 year old, born in Lunde (NOR), Skaardal won 7 FIS Alpine World Cup
Ski races (6 Downhill’s and 1 Super-G) and finished on the podium in 26 FIS Alpine World Cup ski competitions, claiming the FIS World Cup Super G title in 1995/96.

In 1996 he crowned his career winning the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship Super G competition in Sierra Nevada (SPA), a feat he repeated one year later in Sestriere (ITA).

After concluding his ski racing career he worked in the media and ski industry before taking on the position of head coach for the Norwegian national men’s alpine ski team from 2000 2005.

Skaardal lives in Oberalm near Salzburg, Austria with girlfriend Karin Koellerer (former member of the Austrian Ski Team) and their two young sons.’

‘I am extremely excited to be nominated for this position by FIS’, says Skaardal. ‘This is a wonderful opportunity and I sincerely believe that I will be able to sustain on-going
development and bring new ideas to the ladies World Cup’, says Skaardal.