Cortina d'Ampezzo Awarded 2011 Championships
London, England (June 2, 2007) -- Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy was awarded the 2011 FIBT World Bobsleigh and Skeleton Championship in a vote taken at the annual FIBT Congress. The vote was 21-13 over Winterberg, Germany. In other action, the FIBT approved new articles of association and modified its bobsleigh and skeleton rules.
Cortina last hosted an FIBT World Championship in 1999 at the famed Eugenio Monti bob track. An official skeleton race has never been held on the track, but Cortina officials pledged to make changes for skeleton homologation during the 2007-2008 season. Winterberg , which was also bidding for the prestigious event, was hoping to make the 2011 Championship part of the 100th anniversary celebration of its Bobsleigh Club.
The Eugenio Monti track is considered one of the most challenging and exciting tracks in the World. Bobsleigh has a long tradition in Cortina, including being site of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games bobsleigh competition. The track is 1340 meters long and sports 12 corners.
In other votes taken during the Congress, the FIBT completed the updating of its articles of association. The first phase of the by-laws was passed one year ago, setting forth new Vice Presidential positions on the Board of Directors. The by-laws were changed to reflect the re-location of the Federation to Switzerland and to make the right to vote closely tied to the amount of participation. The FIBT has 60 National Federation members.
The FIBT rules were modified, establishing a world ranking system and limiting the number of athletes that can qualify for the World Cup or World Championships.
In men's bobsleigh, 30 crews will qualify for the World Cup, with a limit of 16 nations. The World Bobsleigh Championship will allow the entry of at least one qualified team per nation. Women's bobsleigh is slated for no more than 25 crews for the World Cup. In skeleton the World Cup races will have a maximum of 30 men and 25 women while the World Championship be be capped at 36 men (22 nations) and 25 women (13 nations). There will no longer be challenge cup events to quality for the World Championships.
The new rules also allow for the creation of a third tier of competition, the Continental Cup. Skeleton Continental Cup races will begin with the 2007-2008 season. Continental competitions in bobsleigh will start with the 2008-2009 season. Athletes will earn points in the entry level events (America's Cup and Europea Cup), as well as the Continental series and the World Cup. Total points will establish the world ranking, which will be used for seeding.
Cortina last hosted an FIBT World Championship in 1999 at the famed Eugenio Monti bob track. An official skeleton race has never been held on the track, but Cortina officials pledged to make changes for skeleton homologation during the 2007-2008 season. Winterberg , which was also bidding for the prestigious event, was hoping to make the 2011 Championship part of the 100th anniversary celebration of its Bobsleigh Club.
The Eugenio Monti track is considered one of the most challenging and exciting tracks in the World. Bobsleigh has a long tradition in Cortina, including being site of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games bobsleigh competition. The track is 1340 meters long and sports 12 corners.
In other votes taken during the Congress, the FIBT completed the updating of its articles of association. The first phase of the by-laws was passed one year ago, setting forth new Vice Presidential positions on the Board of Directors. The by-laws were changed to reflect the re-location of the Federation to Switzerland and to make the right to vote closely tied to the amount of participation. The FIBT has 60 National Federation members.
The FIBT rules were modified, establishing a world ranking system and limiting the number of athletes that can qualify for the World Cup or World Championships.
In men's bobsleigh, 30 crews will qualify for the World Cup, with a limit of 16 nations. The World Bobsleigh Championship will allow the entry of at least one qualified team per nation. Women's bobsleigh is slated for no more than 25 crews for the World Cup. In skeleton the World Cup races will have a maximum of 30 men and 25 women while the World Championship be be capped at 36 men (22 nations) and 25 women (13 nations). There will no longer be challenge cup events to quality for the World Championships.
The new rules also allow for the creation of a third tier of competition, the Continental Cup. Skeleton Continental Cup races will begin with the 2007-2008 season. Continental competitions in bobsleigh will start with the 2008-2009 season. Athletes will earn points in the entry level events (America's Cup and Europea Cup), as well as the Continental series and the World Cup. Total points will establish the world ranking, which will be used for seeding.