OSLO, NOR, 2 MARCH 2013 – Nearly 400 athletes from 35 nations have converged upon Norway, as the biggest event of the FIS Freestyle season gets underway at the Voss/Oslo 2013 Freestyle Ski World Championships.

Spread across two venues – one situated in the Norwegian capital at the Oslo Vinterpark for halfpipe, the other on the Norwegian west coast at the town of Voss for moguls, aerials, ski cross, and slopestyle – the 2013 Freestyle Ski World Championships promises to be the biggest one yet, with the most competitors, most coverage, and best venues ever.

After training days on Saturday and Sunday, competition kicks off on Monday in Oslo with halfpipe qualifications. Then, under the lights of the Oslo Vinterpark on Tuesday, the 12 best men's and ladies' halfpipe skiers in the world will duke it out to see who gets to be crowned the 2013 world champion.

Following halfpipe competition in Oslo on Tuesday night, attention quickly shifts some 384kms north-west of Oslo to the resort of Myrkdalen, just outside of Voss, for men's and ladies' moguls finals on Wednesday afternoon. Moguls qualifications will take place during the morning and early afternoon of the day before, on Tuesday.

From there things just keep rolling, with aerials finals on Thursday afternoon, dual moguls finals on Friday, slopestyle on Saturday, and jam-packed day of ski cross qualifications and finals on Sunday, March 10^th, to finish up what is promising to be an incredible week.

While the Oslo Vinterpark Superpipe (shaped by world-renowned pipe and park construction company Snow Park Technologies) is already looking to be in perfect condition, final adjustments are being made at the Voss venues. With an abundance of snow, mostly clear skies, and a stable weather forecast, it looks like all the factors are aligning to ensure that the World Championships event facilities are truly world class and the competition exceptional.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Approximately 377 athletes from 35 nations (from Chile to Great Britain, Andorra to Japan, and dozens in between) will be competing for the title of World Champion in all six FIS Freestyle events – halfpipe, slopestyle, moguls, dual moguls, aerials, and ski cross

• Voss/Oslo 2013 will be the 14^th Freestyle Skiing World Championships competition; the Championships – first held in 1986 at Tignes, FRA - have been held bi-annually since the 1989 event in Oberjoch, GER

• Moguls and aerials competitions have been held at every event since the 1986 World Championships; dual moguls was introduced in Merringen, SUI, in 1999; ski cross and halfpipe made their debut at Ruka, FIN, in 2005; slopestyle first appeared at Deer Valley, in 2011

• a number of reigning world champions will be hand at Voss/Oslo to try and defend their titles

  • Guilbaut Colas (FRA) will compete as reigning men's moguls champion

  • Alex Bilodeau (CAN) will compete as two-time reigning men's dual moguls champion

  • Mike Riddle (CAN) will compete as reigning men's halfpipe champion

  • Alex Schlopy (USA) will compete as reigning men's slopestyle champion

  • Christopher Del Bosco (CAN) will compete as reigning men's ski cross champion

  • Rosalind Groenewoud (CAN) will compete as reigning ladies' halfpipe champion

  • Kelsey Serwa (CAN) will compete as reigning ladies' ski cross champion

• As well, a number of past champions will competing and looking to reclaim their title, including Patrick Deneen (USA, moguls), Kevin Rolland (FRA, halfpipe), Tomas Kraus (CZE, ski cross), Andy Matt (AUT, ski cross), Hannah Kearney (USA, moguls), Aiko Uemura (JPN, moguls, dual moguls), Virginie Faivre (SUI, halfpipe), and Ophelie David (FRA, ski cross)

• By hosting the FIS Freestyle World Championships, Voss/Oslo joins a distinguished list of ski resorts around the world who have also welcomed the competition, including the likes of Tignes (FRA), Lake Placid (USA), Nagano (JPN), Deer Valley (USA), and Whistler (CAN), all of which have also played host to Winter Olympic Games competitions

LINKS:

Live scoring and timing of every event will be available here:

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VossOslo2013.no

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