World Championships in Oberstdorf without spectators

Until now, the organizers of the Nordic Ski World Championships in Oberstdorf had hoped that the events there could take place in front of a limited number of spectators, but now it was decided that there will not be any fans in the stands in Oberstdorf.

"Of course we would have wished for a different decision, but for a while now there have been signs from the authorities that we will probably not have any other choice. Now we have to look ahead and make the best out of the situations. The past weeks have shown that fascinating winter sports competitions can be held even without any spectators", explained Dr. Franz Steinle, president of the German Ski Association.

This decision is not only disappointing for athletes, fans of the three nordic disciplines, but of course also for the organizers.
"We are very sorry that the stands in our Ski Jumping arena and in the cross country stadium must remain empty. Over the past months, we thought intensively about necessary concepts to allow spectators at the events in a safe way. Some reconstruction has even started already, but for the final phase of planning, it was important to make this decision now for economical reasons. The decision of whether an event is held with or without spectators has a lot of influence on the personnel planning and the setup of the infrastructure. After months of uncertainty we now have clarity and can focus on carrying out the event in a safe way for athletes, coaches and staff", says Florian Stern of the organizing committee.

The Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf are held from February 23 - March 7, 2021. There will be a total of six Ski Jumping competitions.