Description

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS), is a biennial event showcasing Nordic skiing. Commencing in 1925 exclusively for men, it welcomed women's participation in 1954. This prestigious competition encompasses three disciplines of Nordic skiing: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined, which combines cross-country and ski jumping. Initially, from 1924 to 1939, the Championships occurred annually, coinciding with the Winter Olympics. Following World War II, they transitioned to a quadrennial schedule from 1950 to 1982. Since 1985, the Championships have convened in odd-numbered years.

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001, held in Lahti, Finland from February 15 to 25, marked the event's sixth occurrence in the city, following previous editions in 1926, 1938, 1958, 1978, and 1989. Notably, these championships featured significant alterations to the event lineup, including the discontinuation of the 5 km women's and 10 km men's races. Additionally, the return of the 10 km women's and 15 km men's races to their standard status since the 1991 championships, the introduction of a combined pursuit as a separate category, the inclusion of individual sprint races for both genders, and the debut of the ski jumping team normal hill event. Severe cold weather led to the cancellation of the women's 30 km race, while a doping scandal involving the host nation Finland resulted in six disqualifications, foreshadowing further doping issues in cross-country skiing at the subsequent Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Engraver: Jarkko Roth