Press release -
INTERNATIONAL INFERNO RACES 2021: PLAN B IN RESERVE
On 12 August 2020, the Swiss Government announced that events with more than 1,000 people will be permitted to resume from the beginning of October. This ruling means that the 78th International Inferno Races from 20 – 23 January 2021 may go ahead as usual. Nonetheless, the organising committee has considered all eventualities and drawn up a Plan B. Potential measures include spreading the downhill race over two days. Entry fees will be reimbursed in full if the event has to be cancelled due to COVID-19.
According to the current COVID-19 regulations, events with more than 1,000 participants will be permitted to resume from October 2020. This means that the 78th International Inferno Races from 20 – 23 January 2021 may go ahead as customary, i.e. the cross-country contest on Wednesday and the giant slalom on Thursday, followed by the downhill on Saturday. Nonetheless, the organising committee discussed at the beginning of August possible options for holding the event under more stringent COVID-19 restrictions. The result is Plan B, which could quickly be put in place should tighter restrictions be reimposed. In any event, the party at the Sports Centre will be significantly scaled back, since it goes without saying that ski racing and the health of everyone involved is the overriding concern.
Plan B: Spreading the Inferno Downhill over two days
Should the Swiss Government reimpose more stringent measures, the organising committee would consider spreading the downhill with a maximum participation of 1,850 athletes over two days. Although there is no plan to reduce the number of participants, it would not be possible for everyone to compete on the same day. On Friday, start numbers 701 to 1600 would compete. On Saturday, it would be the turn of the top favourites in the men's categories with start numbers 1 to 700, including the women's top 30 block (Nos 201 – 230) and the block with the Super3 Series participants. Inferno rookies would also compete on Saturday (Nos 1601 – 1850). With five athletes entering the course per minute (12-second start intervals), gatherings of more than 50 athletes could be avoided, with appropriate control measures at the start and finish areas. The contests on both days would be ranked as one race. Wednesday evening's cross-country race with around 550 athletes in the village centre of Mürren would take place as usual, as would the giant slalom on Thursday. However, the fringe programmes would be restricted to an acceptable minimum.
Entry fee reimbursement in the event of cancellation
In the event that the Inferno Ski Races 2021 have to be cancelled due to COVID-19, entry fees will be reimbursed in full.
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Schilthorn Cableway Ltd (Switzerland) connects the Lauterbrunnen valley from Stechelberg with the idyllically situated, car-free mountain villages of Gimmelwald and Mürren, continuing via Birg station to the Schilthorn summit at 2970 m.a.s.l. The panoramic views of over 200 high-Alpine mountain peaks and the UNESCO Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau World Heritage landscape are unrivalled. The Schilthorn acquired international prominence through the filming of the James Bond movie «On Her Majesty's Secret Service» in 1968, and Secret Agent 007 has been an integral part of the Schilthorn experience ever since. At the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant, guests can revel in 360-degree panoramic views while they dine on regional dishes and snacks. Belonging to Schilthorn Cableway, the Allmendhubel funicular railway runs from the heart of Mürren village up to the same-named top station – a starting point for hikes and popular excursion destination for families. The Schilthorn world of experience is a popular destination with guests of all ages – for sports activities, culture, leisure and pleasure.
Schilthorn Cableway Ltd is based in Interlaken, the internationally renowned resort and favoured excursion starting point for guests from all over the globe.
