Coming up: Davos Nordic

With a grand total of 42 nations in the preliminary entries, Davos in Switzerland is the place to be for the Cross-Country world elite at the upcoming weekend. With a Sprint and a 10km / 15km in Free technique, an exciting competition schedule awaits at Davos Nordic on Saturday, 11th and Sunday, 12th December.

The winter wonderland up at 1’560m above sea level gives the perfect setting for the athletes regarding the qualifications for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing 2022. As the Olympic venue itself will be at high altitude, the upcoming competition weekend will be another test to see who copes well with those conditions.

For many athletes, Davos has been a place to set milestones. Only just last year, it was the beginning of a winning row for the US Team, with Rosie Brennan claiming both victories, in Sprint and Distance competition and Hailey Swirbul, her team colleague claiming her maiden World cup podium on Sunday’s 10km.

At the beginning of this season however, Maja Dahlqvist from Sweden has put the hammer down in the Sprint’s of Ruka and Lillehammer and could become the first woman after Marit Bjørgen and Petra Majdic in 2008/09 to win each of the first three Sprints at the beginning of a World Cup season.

Click here for all pre-competition facts.

But this year’s edition of Davos Nordic will not only be about breaking records. Switzerland’s one and only Dario Cologna announced that he will retire after this Olympic season. Therefore, the competitions on the training grounds of the 35 year-old will be the farewell races for the local hero on home ground. The same applies to his team colleagues Laurien Van der Graaff and Jovian Hediger, who chose to end their careers after this season as well.

With early snowfarming in the Flüela valley, where parts of the Distance race course setting is located, and heavy snowfall in the last week, Davos is ready with top conditions for an exciting World Cup weekend ahead!