“It was in Asiago that I began my dream of becoming an athlete: I started here at the Junior World Championships in 1987 when I was just a kid. I was right here among these beautiful hills and extraordinary landscapes, and I am honored to be back.” With those words, Bjørn Dæhlie officially opened the MWC Asiago 2013 Masters World Cup. The greatest cross-country skier of all time is serving as the official ambassador of the ‘over-30’ World Cup hosted by Italy; today Dæhlie headlined the opening press conference held at the Golf Arena clubhouse on the Vicenza Plateau, which is hosting the races through February 22.
“The world of competitive racing has changed,” Dæhlie recalled, “partly because race formats have evolved; however, I believe all these changes have broadened the appeal of this sport and greatly increased public interest, especially in Europe: I am convinced there are many more skiers now than in the past.” And when asked to recall the relay lost by a whisker against the Italians at Lillehammer in ’94, Dæhlie smiled and mentioned his friend Silvio Fauner, noting that “whenever we see each other, we smile at one another. It’s true: every now and then I think about that race, though not too often anymore—by now it’s history.”
Andrea Gios is the Mayor of Asiago as well as President of the MWC Asiago 2013 Local Organizing Committee: “When we decided to bid for and organize this event in Asiago,” the Mayor explained at the press conference, “we did so with a very clear vision: we are a place naturally suited to Nordic skiing, and we wanted to showcase it to the most passionate skiers. Right now we are immersed in an event that is filling our town with a wonderful enthusiasm for sport. You only need to walk through the town center to see enthusiasts from all over the world carrying backpacks and skis, spreading excitement across the entire Asiago Plateau—and all this is thanks to the volunteers coordinated by Gruppo Sportivo Alpini Asiago and Unione Sportiva Asiago Sci.”
According to Alessandro Rigoni, Executive President of the Masters World Cup Asiago 2013, “Bjørn Dæhlie’s presence honors our Plateau, our organizational efforts, and the entire world of Nordic Masters skiing; after all, Bjørn started out in ’87—as he himself recalled—right on our trails with his first World Championships, and from here in Asiago he went on to achieve a string of unforgettable triumphs.”
Announced during the press conference, the figures for this Masters World Cup Asiago 2013 are impressive. Every day, around six hundred Masters cross-country skiers out of nearly 1,200 registered competitors will take to the trails: this edition boasts the highest number of foreign entrants in the history of the event—960 athletes—and the fourth-highest total participation overall. Standout entries include a woman from Iceland (her country’s sole representative), four Iranians, and thirteen Australians.
Meanwhile, twenty-three athletes are in the “over-80” ranks, led by American dean Finn Hajes, born in 1924. Every day 24 gold medals are up for grabs, doubling on Monday, February 18, when “Big Monday” will see nearly all 1,200 athletes in action. In total, 600 individual medals will be awarded, plus 168 relay medals.
For more information, visit the official website www.mwc2013.com
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