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PR: FIS World Cup Snowboard Championships To
Begin In San Candido, Italy SAN CANDIDO, Italy -- The worldwide snowboard community will have its eyes set on the competition in San Candido, Italy this week (Jan. 21-26), as the second FIS World Snowboard Championships begins on Tuesday (Jan. 21) -- an event which will foreshadow snowboarding's Olympic debut a year from now in Nagano, Japan. A record 26 nations will compete -- double that of last year! Last year's inaugural FIS World Snowboard Championships in Lienz, Austria was a successful championships for the U.S. Snowboard Team, as American athletes won nine medals. U.S. Snowboard Team Head Coach Peter Foley is pleased with the strong team he again brings to the championships, which includes four U.S. athletes who compete on the International Snowboard Federation's World Cup tour. "Our athletes have been riding really well, and I'm very excited about our chances of success here in San Candido," said Foley. This year's championships will boast an enlarged field of competitors, as riders from the International Snowboard Federation (ISF) will compete in San Candido. A number of foreign countries who did not field teams at last year's championships will be bringing athletes to these championships. "A lot of countries who didn't bring teams to last year's championships will be fielding teams here because this is a pre-Olympic year," said FIS Snowboard Technical Coordinator Ted Martin. "The Olympics are only one year away, and countries are identifying the riders who could represent their nation in Nagano. Many of the riders we will see here this week will be the riders we see in Nagano." "The competition venues here are in great shape and are perfect for the World Championships," said Martin. San Candido is nestled in the Dolomite mountain range in northern Italy, and has been host to snowboard World Cups on both the International Ski Federation and International Snowboard Federation tours. Monday evening marks the official start of the World Championships, with Opening Ceremony festivities to be held at the base of the mountain. The daily competition schedule is as follows:
Tues., Jan. 21
- Women's
Giant Slalom PR: U.S. Team Selected For FIS World Championships In Italy
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