FIS announces new schedule for Cross-Country World Cup competition

The FIS has announced a new schedule for the Cross-Country World Cup in Falun ©Nordic Focus

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has announced details of a new schedule for the Cross-Country World Cup competition in Falun.

Competition is now taking place in the Swedish resort across three World Cup categories between January 29 and 31.

On January 29, competition will take place in the free discipline over 10 kilometres for women and 15 kilometres for men, with racers starting at intervals.

On January 30, competition will move to the classic discipline, again over 10km for women and 15km for men, using the mass start format.

The final day of the event sees competition take place in the classic sprint.

?Upon agreement by the organization of Falun World Cup, FIS and all involved stakeholders, one additional World Cup competition is confirmed to take place in Falun on Friday, 29th January 2021? Find out more about the schedule on https://t.co/Vg4qSFvDsK
?NordicFocus pic.twitter.com/2G8VtanFTF
— FIS Cross-Country (@FISCrossCountry) December 24, 2020

Separate competitions will again take place for women and men, with qualifying to be followed by finals later in the day.

The FIS said that World Cup organisers and all other stakeholders were involved in agreeing the new schedule.

Start times for the races will be confirmed nearer to the event.

Teams from Sweden, Norway and Finland skipped this month's two FIS Cross-Country World Cup events, which took place at Davos in Switzerland and Dresden in Germany, because of coronavirus concerns.

Officials involved with the Finland team said they found maintaining social distancing "more demanding than they anticipated" during the opening Cross-Country World Cup event in Ruka in November.