Everything is set. Sunday February 7 will see the opening of the Cortina 2021 Alpine World Ski Championships, which will conclude on February 21 when the baton passes to Courchevel-Meribel. This edition of the World Championships will be different in that there will be no spectators waving flags alongside the slopes nor at the finish line. It will, however, be the first such event to take place during the pandemic.
“With the World Ski Championships, we are honoring our country,” commented Alessandro Benetton, President of Fondazione Cortina 2021, which is involved in the coordination, management and promotion of the event, for which we are National Partner. “On February 7, before the eyes of the world, the best possible Italy will be taking the stage, the one that works as a team, that is able to trust in the future, that does not falter when faced with difficulties and that is capable of pulling together to achieve its goals. Our hope is that we can send a message of rebirth, founded on the healthy and constructive values of sport, around the world,” concluded Benetton.
Thanks to the hard work of the Fondazione Cortina 2021 these World Championships will not feel distant. The Dolomites will be beamed into homes around the globe thanks to extensive TV coverage. A total of 140 TV cameras are to be used in the production of the event, which will broadcast images of this wonderful setting, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, to an estimated to 500 million-plus TV viewers. With the dedicated app, it will be possible to follow both live news from the races and watch the post-race press conferences via live stream; it will also be possible to submit your own questions to the competition winners through the live chat platform, take part in a contest to win prizes, as well as taking a look behind the scenes, such as at training and at the preparation of the pistes. The Olympia, Vertigine, Labirinti and Drusciè-A pistes will be where the athletes compete for the medals, while the brand new Lino Lacedelli piste will be used for the qualifying rounds. There will be thirteen race events with the same number of world titles up for grabs, with 600 athletes from 70 nations eying a total of 39 medals.
A central theme of these Championships is the relationship with the local community and the commitment to sustainability, achieved both by minimizing the environmental impact and by emphasizing the reuse of resources, also thanks to new technologies and eco-sustainable partnerships, such as the one with our Group. Indeed, thanks to Enel X’s innovative solutions, used in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the artistic lighting for the event, our company is once again at the forefront in supporting an international sporting event, respecting the environment and links with the local area and community.
In addition to the opening ceremony on February 7 and the closing ceremony on February 21, as well as the races, practice runs and qualifiers each day, the Audi Talks on February 10 are worth highlighting. These include the participation of Carlo Tamburi, the Enel Group’s Head of Country Italy, together with Fabrizio Longo, Director of Audi Italia, Alessandro Benetton, Flavio Roda, President of the Italian Winter Sports Federation, and Gianpietro Ghedina, Mayor of Cortina. On February 14, before the start of the men’s downhill race, there will be a display by the Italian aerobatics team, the Frecce Tricolori, at 10.30 am.
From Italy to everyone everywhere, enjoy the show!