The 2019 organizers with great ambitions when they met up with the Norwegian national team squad.

During last week’s training assembly for the Norwegian national team, representatives from the WOC 2019 organization showed up to tell a bit of what to expect in less than two years’ time.

The crowd paid good attention as Solveig Sikkeland, the vice chairman of WOC 2019, told about how the organization is built and about the plans to make use of the entire area of Østfold county.

-All of the clubs in Østfold are represented within the organization, and are set to make this event a happening for the entire area, Sikkeland told the assembly. She is originally from Varteig in Østfold herself.

 Per Bergerud, the director for WOC 2019, is a former world champion in ski jumping. He is however well acquainted with working on other big sporting events. In 2016 he played the same part, as executive director for the biathlon world championships in Oslo-Holmenkollen.

 -That event was very successful, and my ambition is to create something similar here. We want to create the best world championships ever!

 The best ever world championships is also the ambition for the Norwegian athletes, only this time with the results in the races in mind.

-You are all welcome to contribute to make this WOC a great event, and something to remember.

 Two of the present runners have already ran in a successful WOC in Norway once before, Marianne Andersen and Olav Lundanes. Both had a great championship week at WOC 2010 in Trondheim. They were both very eager in the discussions, and based on how zealous they seemed during these discussions they seem bent upon recreating the mood of 2010 in Østfold. When the formal parts of the discussions were about to conclude, we could still see Lundanes and Bergerud in eager discussions concerning WOC 2019 and the journey towards it.

 -I think it is wonderful for the people behind the scenes in the WOC organization to know that the athletes are so dedicated in front of a championship event like this, and at the same time are willing to contribute in order for us to succeed, Per Bergerud says with a smile on his mouth after a very inspiring evening with the Norwegian athletes.

 For the Norwegian national team last week’s assembly marked the start for the more intensive preparations towards WOC 2019.