The Ghost World Cup is costing Antholz dearly

A completely normal day of competition in Antholz: Early in the morning, thousands of fans set off from the valley towards the Südtirol Arena, which is located a nice distance above the rest of the municipality of Rasen-Antholz. In the pompous arena at an altitude of 1600 meters, people cheer and celebrate all day long, and also laugh and celebrate in the nearby festival tent.

It's always been that way in recent years, and Antholz has become a really big number in the biathlon circus. But this year everything will be different: it is already clear that it will be a very quiet World Cup. Because when Dorothea Wierer & Co. fight for victories and podium places in the Südtirol Arena from January 21st to 24th, 2021, it will be done behind closed doors. The approximately 65.000 fans who make the pilgrimage to Antholz on a weekend – they are not there this year.

Lorenz Leitgeb, OC head of the Biathlon World Cup in Antholz. © Biathlon Antholz / Valentina Strobl

“It was a difficult decision,” explains OC boss Lorenz Leitgeb SportNews . “We've been hoping for the last few months that somehow it would work. But the current situation doesn't allow it. That's why we decided last Friday, in consultation with the state governor Arno Kompatscher, to hold the competitions without fans this year. We believe this is the best decision given the current situation.” Damage amounts to around 800.000 euros Biathlon in Antholz without fans – that hurts, not only from a sporting perspective, but also from a financial perspective. “The worst scenario for us would be if we couldn’t hold the event at all. It wouldn't have made much sense to only let 4000 or 5000 fans in - the costs in terms of safety and hygiene measures would have been too high," said Leitgeb. But the financial losses are also so great. “I expect the damage to be somewhere around 800.000 euros,” says the OC boss.

Nevertheless, you are fighting. “It’s simply important for us to hold the event this year. We want to show that we can organize such an event even in these difficult times. We have received great support from all sides – i.e. partners and sponsors.”

But there is no less work waiting for Leitgeb and his organizing committee - on the contrary. “Because of the Corona situation, everything is now regulated extremely precisely. For example, we have to make sure that all teams have protected hotels, meaning that they stay alone or at least well separated from the other guests, i.e. stay in their bubble. There are also other innovations this year: For example, you can’t get accreditation without a negative corona test,” explains Leitgeb. The volunteers are in the process of setting up a back-up system: If corona cases occur, replacements are available. 250 makes 30 How different the Biathlon World Cup in Antholz is this year compared to other years can also be clearly seen from another fact. When the World Championships took place in the Antholz Valley a few months ago, more than 250 media representatives reported on the events in the biathlon stronghold in the ultra-modern press room of the South Tyrol Arena. This year there will be around 30.

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The Ghost World Cup is costing Antholz dearly

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