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4:10pm Tuesday, February 13, 2024
For the first time in more than 20 years, cross-country skiing’s biggest event will be held in the United States. And it will happen in Golden Valley later this week.
More than 30,000 spectators and nearly 200 skiers from around the world will gather at Theodore Wirth Park this weekend for the 2024 COOP FIS Cross Country World Cup.
“This is the Super Bowl of skiing,” said Claire Wilson, executive director of the Loppet Foundation, which operates all recreational activities at Theodore Worth Park.
Every sport has championship events, and for the world’s most elite cross-country skiers, Theodore Wirth Park’s trails will soon become hallowed grounds.
“We are so excited to welcome people from all over the world to Wirth,” said Wilson. “You know, it’s our hometown hero Jesse Diggins and the entire U.S. Ski Team.” [has] He expressed his enthusiasm and excitement to finally be able to ski in front of his home crowd. ”
On Tuesday morning, crews were busy preparing the course for the weekend’s events. The event will include a sprint on Saturday, a 10K on Sunday, and tens of thousands of spectators cheering.
“There’s no bad seat in this house,” Wilson said. “This course is perfect for spectating.”
Redo
The venue was scheduled to host the World Cup in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic broke out during the week of the tournament, forcing organizers to cancel.
“After the heartbreak of the cancellation, we re-bid,” Wilson said. “This time it’s February, because we thought February was definitely safe in Minnesota.”
Instead, Mother Nature decided to make this the warmest and snowiest winter on record. As a result, all of the snow on the courses at Theodore Wirth Park is man-made.
None of the snow on the trails at Theodore Wirth Park is natural. Crews work around the clock to maintain ski trails in preparation for World Cup events.
“Our crew just worked a miracle. They were incredible,” Wilson said. “They worked around the clock in the cold. They’re working around the clock to save what we have now so we can maintain our ski trails. I’m really proud of our efforts.”
The ski trail will soon host 180 athletes from 21 countries, all aiming to win their respective Super Bowls.
Meanwhile, if you were hoping to attend this event, tickets are already sold out. All information on viewing guides and local viewing parties can be found on his Loppet Cup website.
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