Jaunumi

After two weeks in Lithuanian city Druskininki with the first stage will start the Baltic cup in alpine skiing organized by Latvian Skiing association. Two days competition on the second weekend of November will include slalom discipline for all groups, starting with several youth groups and ending with Elite and U21 group, the last of them competing in FIS Entry league slalom races.

Baltic cup in alpine skiing will have its eight season, but for the second year in a row it will consist of three stages. This several stage alpine skiing competition, which is the strongest and most prestigious not only in Baltic countries, but also in Eastern European region, is getting more popular, and the first time all three stages of the Baltic cup will be FIS races in slalom and participants from more than15 countries will take part. Last season the second and third stage in Latvia and Finland accordingly was already organised as FIS races, so this year it is turn also for Lithuania.

So the first stage, which consists of two competition days, will take place on the 7th and 8th November in Druskininki indoor alpine skiing track “Snow arena”. It is the only winter sports complex in the Baltic States that is open all year round and has alpine skiing track of 50m width and 460m length. Both days alpine skiers will compete in slalom discipline, youth and masters making two runs, but elite and U21 group as FIS race participants will have to complete three runs, in order to comply with FIS rules due to the length of the course. Baltic cup in “Snow arena” will the third international competition this season in FIS calendar and second in Europe after the World cup in Soelden, which will open the new season this weekend.

The second and the third stage of Baltic cup are scheduled after new year, Latvian winter city Sigulda hosting two days slalom competition for elite and U21, but giant slalom for youth and master groups at the end of February, but in the middle of March Baltic cup  will move to Finland’s resort Pyhe, where also Super-G and alpine combined are included and five FIS races will take place – three in slalom and two in giant slalom.

Also this year the points, similar to World cup system, will be awarded in each stage to athletes according to their placement (100 points for 1st, 80 for 2nd and so on) and overall rankings will be calculated. This year the competitors field in Lithuania promises to be much stronger, because besides the usual representatives of Baltic countries and Belarus, also participants of Italy, Austria, Norway, Finland and several another countries, totally 16, have announced about their participation.