WC Final: Full update

Here you find a full update on the situation at the WC final in France directly from the organizers. The best news first: the organizers still count on having live audio and 3 online controls at each of the three finals – and there will be no qualifications. Note also especially the new starting time for the sprint qualification tomorrow: 11.00 for the women and 12.00 for the men.

Power gone
Todays competition was – as we all know now – cancelled due to strong winds of up to 150 km/h. The wind was not bad when the first runner started at 10.00, but the wind increased dramatically between 10.30 and 11.00. At 11.00, the power went in the finish area (actually in the whole region, not coming back until 17.30). At the same time, the organizers decided to cancel the race due to reports from the organizers sitting in the forest at radio controls. These organizers then asked the runners to return to the finish along large paths and roads.

Sprint Final tomorrow at 11.00
Tomorrow there will be the sprint final (no qualification) with start at 11.00 for the women and 12.00 for the men. All runners are allowed to run in the final. The startlist is drawn in three start groups, with two runners from each nation in each start group.

At the long distance at thursday, the starting list will be in the opposite direction of the WC standing after the sprint distance. Note that two runners from a nation can not start after each other, and thus there will be some changes in the starting list compared to the WC standing. All runners are allowed to run the long distance as well.

Middle distance is WC Final
Everybody is allowed to run the middle distance final – also the ones who did not manage the qualification yesterday (good luck for Damien Renard and Stig Alvestad, picture right). The middle distance at friday will now be the World Cup final, i.e. the competition which will count for all runners in the calcultion of the standing for the overall World Cup. In addition, either the sprint or the middle distance will also count in the overall World Cup. The starting list for the WC final will be based on the WC standings.

Hope for tomorrow
The wind has now calmed down, but the weather forecast reports more wind tonight. However, the weather forecast for tomorrow is better: The wind should calm down again during the race tomorrow, and there is supposed to be little rain. Let’s hope this is the correct weather forecast…

The opening ceremony which was supposed to be held at the mountain Puy de Dome this evening was cancelled due to the strong winds – and due to the road up to the mountain being blocked by trees.