It has been 495 years since Gustav Vasa's adventures in Dalarna, and the 92nd Vasaloppet since the beginning in 1922 will start in Sälen on Sunday March 6, 2016, at 08:00. As usual Vasaloppet has collected and compiled interesting historic facts and trivia as well as current news for the race on Sunday.
Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, won Tjejvasan 2016 ahead of Katerina Smutná, Austria, and Julia Svan, Vansbro AIK SK. Over the past three years Britta has come in fourth, second and fourth place in Tjejvasan, but today was her first victory in the world's biggest ski race only for women. "I value this victory very highly," said Britta.
90 km of ski trails stand ready to be used by 66,000 participants over the next two weeks and, judging by the weather forecasts, the conditions will be the best we've seen in several years. The races starting in Sälen will have a new minor improvement on the first slope.
It's not long before you'll be standing on the starting line, depending on which race you're participating in. Only the fine-tuning remains. Hope everything is progressing smoothly according to your plan. It is with great joy that we warmly welcome you and another 65,000 skiers to Vasaloppet's Winter Week 2016!
Vasaloppet continues its hard and purposeful work in the environmental area. A zero tolerance policy is in effect against littering. "The aim is that there should be no littering at all along the whole Vasaloppet Arena," says Vasaloppet's Environment Manager Mats Rylander.
The last preparations are right now being made to welcome over 65,000 skiers to Vasaloppet's Winter Week. The cold has returned again and the chilly winter has been very favourable for snow production. Vasaloppet is now testing a new approach with mobile snow cannons along the course to further improve the track quality of the event.
The Winter Week of 2016 sees the premiere edition of the new race Öppet Spår 9 km. A smaller Vasaloppet experience where anyone can participate. The goal is that those who otherwise would not take part should have a chance to discover cross-country skiing.
After snowfall, persistent cold and intensive work, we can, this weekend, present the news that the whole Vasaloppet course is groomed and ready for use.
The snow has come and gone along the whole Vasaloppet Arena during the start of the winter and we now have a skiable area of about 2.5 kilometres around Mora Ski Stadium.
Vasaloppet's competition management has appointed Hanna Eriksson from IFK Mora to be the 92nd Kranskulla in history, and management for Tjejvasan has appointed Johan Wellert from Sälens IF to be the 28th Kransmas. These two have been given what is often called the most prestigious assignment among the thousands of functionaries who make Vasaloppet's events possible.
