January’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

31st December 2021

Last modified on January 30th, 2022

– It’s Never Too Early to Book a Ski Holiday
– Beijing 2022 Slopestyle Course Unveiled
– First GB Female for Summer & Winter Olympics
– UN Calls for Olympic Truce to be Observed … LIVE & UPDATED

Here we cover anything that takes our fancy.

Short news stories, eye catching videos, amusing cartoons, coronavirus updates, things that make us smile/things that make us shout at the screen… in fact anything that catches our eye in the world of snowsports.

Check out all the ‘snippets’ from last month:

December’s Skiing Snippets

We’re mixing it up.

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It’s Never Too Early to Book a Ski Holiday

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Beijing 2022 Slopestyle Course Revealed

The course that the slopestyle skiers and snowboarders will compete on at the Winter Olympics has been unveiled.

A large contingent of the GB Snowsport squad left the UK for Beijing on Thursday 27th January.

You can read more about them and their chances in our separate report as we mark 7 days until the Games begin on 4th February.

A Week to Go to the 2022 Winter Olympics

https://www.facebook.com/fisfreestyle/posts/10159747689851306

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First GB Female Athlete to be Selected for Summer & Winter Olympics

Montell Douglas has been selected as a bobsledder for Beijing 2022.

14 years ago at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games she competed in the 100m and 4x100m relay.

“To come full circle, after 14 years and at the end of my career, that blows my mind,” the 36-year-old Douglas told the BBC.

“You’re never too old, it’s never too late, you should always dream and dream big.”

At the time of her first Olympic appearance, Douglas was a British 100m record holder.

Montell Douglas is the first British female to be selected to compete at both a summer and winter Games.
The bobsledder will return to Beijing to compete at an Olympics 14 years after appearing at the summer Games!
🗞 Read her latest column 👇#bbcolympics
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 25, 2022

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UN Calls for Olympic Truce to be Observed During Beijing 2022

The Olympic Truce is inspired by the “Ekecheiria”, an action which called for a halt to fighting during the Olympic Games in antiquity.

“I solemnly appeal to all member states to demonstrate their commitment to the Olympic Truce for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” said Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly.

“I also call upon all warring parties of current armed conflicts around the world to boldly agree to true mutual ceasefires for the duration of the Olympic Truce, thus providing an opportunity to settle disputes peacefully.”

The International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said “he United Nations once again supports the political neutrality of the Olympic Games”.

The Truce comes into force seven days before the Opening Ceremony.

Beijing 2022. Image c/o IOC

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First Event Of Freeride World Tour Claims Success

The opening #FWT22 competition took place in Baqueira Beret in Spain.

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Woof, Woof

Avalanche dogs from across the world are getting trained in Utah, USA.

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Freeride World Tour Set to Roll

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Record Rises in Covid Cases in Some Ski Nations

The BBC is reporting huge increases in the number of infections in Italy and France.

France reported 464,769 new daily infections on Tuesday 18^th January, more than four times higher than Monday’s figure of 102,144.

It’s a daily record for the pandemic.

Health authorities in Italy recorded 228,179 new infections on Tuesday, up from 83,403 the previous day.

In Germany a record 112,323 new cases were reported on Wednesday.

The news from Spain is better.

New infections have begun to fall for the first time since the Omicron wave began.

The head of the World Health Organisation has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is nowhere near over.

Read the full story on the BBC.

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Beijing 2022 Will Not Sell Tickets to General Public

The organisers of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will not allow the public to buy tickets because of Covid-19 concerns.

International spectators had already been banned from attending but now it’s been announced that tickets will be available only to invited groups of spectators.

Inside The Games reports that it’s expected there will be a limited number of fans allowed at venues.

Beijing 2022. Image c/o IOC.

“Given the current grave and complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators, it was decided that tickets should not be sold anymore but be part of an adapted programme that will invite groups of spectators to be present on site during the Games,” Beijing 2022 said.

“The organisers expect that these spectators will strictly abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures before, during and after each event as pre-conditions for the safe and sound delivery of the Games.”

China has recently reported its first case of the highly-transmissable Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The Winter Olympics are due to take place between 4th and 20th February.

The Paralympics follow between 4th and 13th March.

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Snow Camp Re-brands

We’re super excited to reveal Snow Camp’s BRAND NEW logo for 2022! As our as the organisation moves forward with some big plans you can expect to see a few changes on our website, social media and other digital outlets over the coming weeks… 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/hKGq4mhGlH
— Snow Camp Charity (@SnowCampInfo) January 12, 2022

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Rents Rise in Swiss Alps

Alpine areas recorded a significant increase in rents last year.

It is being put down to a reduction in foreign travel and ‘restrictions imposed by the pandemic’ including working from home.

Some people have wanted to leavce cities and be closer to nature.

That’s according to the rent index that has published by the real estate portal Homegate.ch and Zurich Cantonal Bank.

See here for further details.

National rent levels went up buy 1%, but they rose by 4.7% in Graubünden.

The canont is home to many ski resorts including Davos/Klosters and Laax.

In the canton of Uri there was a 2.7% rise.

Switzerland in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI

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Cross Country World Cup Victim of Covid

The Cross Country World Cup in Les Rousses in France next week is off because of COVID-19.

“Because of growing concerns to hold international events in the current pandemic situation and the virulence of the Omicron variant, the organizing committee of Les Rousses (FRA), the French Ski Federation and the National Authorities took the decision to cancel the FIS Cross-Country World Cup that was scheduled to take place from 14^th to 16^th January 2021,” the International Ski Federation said in a statement.

The races will not be rescheduled or relocated.

It means there’s only one remaining Cross Country World Cup – in Planica, Slovenia – before the Winter Olympics begin in Beijing on 4^th February.

https://www.facebook.com/fiscrosscountry/posts/10160440501309925

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Reece Bell – GB Skiing Royalty

She may be a part of British skiing royalty, but in between ecology classes Alpine skier @reecebellski is out to make her own name in the sport.
Get to know Reece in her exclusive Big Interview with GB Snowsport ⬇️https://t.co/YPLvZdYyUh pic.twitter.com/P6ceq0OtKj
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) January 6, 2022

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Go Girls – Silver in the Bobsleigh!

GB’s Mica McNeill and Adele Nicoll won their first bobsleigh World Cup medal with a second place in Sigulda, Latvia.

They were third after the first run, but moved up to silver position after Russia’s Nadezhda Sergeeva crashed.

“It’s an absolutely brilliant way to the start the new year with our first ever World Cup podium finish,” said Olympian McNeill, whose previous World Cup best was fourth place alongside Montell Douglas in 2019 and 2020.

“We’re still on the journey to qualifying for the Olympic Games but we’re feeling optimistic heading into next week’s race.”

Nicoll added: “I’m just so happy that I could help Mica get such a good result. I feel so confident sliding behind her and I’m glad to have given her the start she needed to get on to the podium.”

Their medal comes a day after Brad Hall and Greg Cackett won silver in the two-man bobsleigh.

What a start to the year! 👊@MicaMcNeill & @adelenicoll claim a sensational silver in Sigulda for their first ever World Cup medals 🥈
📸 @The_BBSA pic.twitter.com/VtwrpyCI8G
— Team GB (@TeamGB) January 2, 2022

SILVER medal for @MicaMcNeill and @adelenicoll. Congratulations on their first ever World Cup medal. An important result for Olympic Qualification with only a couple of races left this season. pic.twitter.com/me1yFjLx6C
— John Jackson OLY (@JohnJacksonGB) January 2, 2022

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Military World Winter Games Cancelled Due to Covid-19

They were to take place in Bavaria in Germany next March.

“At an emergency meeting of the WINOC organising committee, after a comprehensive assessment of the current situation and including a professional perspective risk analysis, we came to the conclusion that it would be irresponsible towards all participants and contributors to hold the 4th CISM Military World Winter Games 2022 in its planned form,” wrote Organising Committee head Harald Dobmeier in a letter shared by the International Military Sports Council.

The news has been reported by Inside the Games.

“Therefore, as difficult as it is for us, we have no choice but to recommend to our ministerial leadership that this international military winter sports event be cancelled.”

They were due to take place 22^nd – 27^th March 2020.

Lucerne in Switzerland is scheduled to hold the next Military World Winter Games in 2025.