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Liberec fumbles World Cup

Poor preparation, stolen snow cause concerns over 2009 championships

By František Bouc
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
February 27th, 2008 issue

Disgrace, shame, scandal — these are a just a few of the assessments made by skiers, fans and foreign observers who took part in a World Cup cross-country race in Liberec, north Bohemia, this February.
Originally intended to serve as a baptism by fire for the future venue of the 2009 World Championship in Liberec, the race’s chaotic organization has become a scandal, drawing fears that its organizing committee will likewise fumble what promises to be the country’s biggest sporting event next year.
“It was unbelievable to see what was happening out there. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said German skier Björn Kircheisen.
The race featured many bizarre situations, ranging from stolen snow to participants being ripped off in local hotels. The organizers, headed by retired Olympic champion Kateřina Neumannová, made enemies on all possible fronts.
Before the race, they took snow from a protected national park in north Bohemia to make up for their dry racing track. The move drew sharp criticism from various state and environmental authorities, who said the Liberec organizers could eventually face a fine of up to 2 million Kč ($116,145).
The venue’s track surface also raised skiers’ eyebrows. Czech star Lukáš Bauer, the current World Cup leader, had hoped to score a victory in front of a home crowd so he used his best pair of skis. To his disappointment, the bad surface caused them irreparable damage.
“It looks like I’ve lost them,” Bauer lamented after the race.
To make things worse, some skiers complained about being overcharged in Liberec hotels. This after another World Cup event in Liberec two weeks earlier saw burglars break into the hotel rooms of several competitors.
Critics of the chaotic preparations say they all stem from the forced change in the organizing committee that took place last summer. Then, the Education, Youth and Sports Ministry dismissed the organizing committee’s head, Roman Kumpošt, due to alleged accounting irregularities and replaced him with Neumannová. Most of the committee’s officials resigned in protest.
Liberec Mayor Jiří Kittner said Neumannová’s team was not competent enough. He hinted that preparations were getting out of control.
“The town can take care of developing facilities, but we cannot organize the race. It’s up to ski officials,” he said. “But I’m afraid they still don’t recognize what a fiasco they’re heading into.”
The success of the World Championship will be crucial for the future of World Cup races in the Czech Republic and the country’s Olympic bid, Kittner added.
Liberec’s mayor does seem to be having some buyer’s remorse.
“If I had known eight years ago what we’ll be going through now, I would’ve never opted for this,” he said.

František Bouc can be reached at fbouc@praguepost.com


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