Fine-Tuning the Details in Jasna

JASNA (January 15, 2024) - Petra Vlhova's slope, where the World Cup will be contested next weekend (January 20-21), is now closed to the public. The organizing team of the Audi FIS World Cup in downhill skiing Jasna 2024, which has already successfully passed the FIS track inspection, held a press conference on the construction of infrastructure, logistics, and transportation at the Grand Hotel Jasna last Monday before the official start of the World Cup event.

Last-Minute Tickets

In Jasna, they expect over 11,500 spectators during the competitive weekend, with the capacity of the Koliesko area, including the Priehyba zone, being 12,000 people. Although the organizers reported a sellout due to extreme interest in advance, thanks to the cooperation of partners, they managed to release an additional 400 tickets just before the event. "They sold out extremely quickly, in 15 minutes," reported Jiří Trumpeš, the chairman of the organizing committee.

Controls Already at Overflow Parking Lots

Entry into the Demänovská Valley will be closed from 7:30 on both competition days. Shuttle buses providing transportation from the overflow parking lots to the resort will carry visitors and skiers. "If spectators want to get to the event on time, I recommend coming as early as possible, between 4 and 6 in the morning, to the overflow parking lots near Liptovský Mikuláš. Starting at 6:30, food stands will be ready at the event venue; people don't have to worry about not being able to warm up so early," said Trumpeš. Parking is also available at Tatralandia, with the largest overflow area having a capacity of 7,500 vehicles being the parking lot at the Academy of the Armed Forces. It is free of charge. Shuttle transport for pedestrian visitors will run around the Biela Púť area on Friday, January 19, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Vehicles parked outside official parking areas will be towed.

Masterpiece on Majstrovská - A Natural Tribune from the Slope

Almost the seventh wonder of the World Cup in Jasna has grown in the finish area on Koliesko. The organizers transformed the Majstrovská slope into a huge natural grandstand for visitors, offering an excellent view not only of the entire finish area but practically the final section of the slope from Priehyba as well. "Carving out this grandstand on a slope with an almost 49% incline was a real masterpiece. With a machine weighing over 9 tons, we managed it in 9 hours, creating a grandstand with more than 30 rows for downhill skiing fans on the slope," Trumpeš revealed.

Track Preparations

During the previous weekend, the organizers filled the training slope with water, making it as hard as possible. "Right on Monday, we started working on the track where the competition will take place. It is a procedure that ensures the readiness to handle the demands of a world-class event. It is an extremely precise job, but we already have experience with it in Jasna," added Trumpeš.

Dubovská: I Believe It Will Turn in Jasna

One of the guests at Monday's press conference through an online interview was also Czech Republic representative with Slovak roots, Martina Dubovská, who currently holds 14th place in the World Cup standings with 32 points. She has already had the opportunity to train on the slope under Chopok, where the competition will take place. "The conditions were great; we had amazing people around us, and I hope we prepared well for the races. It's great that we could try the entire racecourse and ride from start to finish. This week is the most important for me this winter. We have races in Flachau and immediately after that in Jasna. I will present myself at home; many of my acquaintances will come, and I am very eager to showcase myself in the best possible light. The results have not been ideal so far, but I believe it will turn in Jasna,"Martina Dubovská enthusiastically revealed.

SLOVAKIA TRAVEL: Petra Vlhova as the Ambassador of Slovakia Travel

Václav Mika, the CEO of Slovakia Travel, which is a promotional partner of the World Cup in Jasna, also accepted the invitation to the press conference. "The World Cup has enormous media coverage. We were inspired by countries that use events of this type for branding and spreading the brand through ambassadors. Petra Vlhova is our ambassador, and we consider it great if she is at the start with the country's branding; this visibility has incredible value. Especially for our markets in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Poland, but also for other countries. We fought for this, and we believe that this synergy will work," says Mika. Petra Vlhova received a state award from President Zuzana Čaputová yesterday, and as Václav Mika says, "It's a pity we don't have more athletes like her."