Johannes Høsflot Klæbo to star Helsinki Ski Weeks
Jun 11, 2020·Cross-Country
Helsinki Ski Weeks, the new ski sports event created by the Finnish Ski Association, will take over the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in January - February 2021. The event will offer a unique opportunity for everyone in the Helsinki metropolitan region to ski for over a month this coming winter.
The five-weeks event will be launched by a modern ski entertainment show entitled Stadium Sprint on Tuesday, 26 January 2021. The invitational Stadium Sprint will bring the world’s best cross-country sprint skiers to compete at the historic Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The first international star confirming participation and also joining Helsinki Ski Weeks as Athlete Ambassador is currently one of the world’s most revered skier, three-time Olympic champion Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
Despite his young age, the 23-year-old Norwegian superstar boasts an impressive list of achievements. In his home country, Klæbo is also known as someone who is keen to develop cross-country skiing both as an elite and recreational sport. He views Helsinki Ski Weeks as a bellwether of future cross-country skiing.
“I think it is important to refresh the sport of cross-country skiing, if the sport wants to develop in the future. We need the make the sport more attractive to young people and keep growing the international interest in it. The vision and concept for Helsinki Ski Weeks are a great start for a new approach to cross-country skiing,”, stated Klæbo.
The competition course for the Helsinki Ski Weeks Stadium Sprint will differ from those seen in the FIS World Cup, notably when it comes to vertical climb or difficulty. Klæbo, who has won the FIS World Cup sprint ranking four times, sees no issues with this, indeed quite the opposite.
“In my view, we need more sprint courses that deliver a great show and allow new winners to break through. The Stadium Sprint in Helsinki will pose us athletes with a new challenge – that is cool and provides a better show for the audiences both on site and on television. I look forward to racing in Helsinki in January,” said Klæbo.
In addition to competing in the invitational Stadium Sprint, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo will serve as Athlete Ambassador for Helsinki Ski Weeks and will closely cooperate with the event’s marketing and communication. He especially wants to help promote Nordic ski sports to children and youngsters. This aligns seamlessly with the concept of Helsinki Ski Weeks.
”We are thrilled that a skier like Klæbo not only wished to become involved with Helsinki Ski Weeks and compete in the Stadium Sprint, but also wants to help market this new ski sports event concept,” commented Jari Töykkä, CEO of Nordic Ski Finland Oy, which is a commercial company of the Finnish Ski Association in charge of organising the event.
”The world’s best ski stars, outstanding ski conditions and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Finland’s iconic Olympic Stadium that has just been revamped – this will be an offer few can decline,” predicted Töykkä.
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