As representatives of WMA Vice President Rolf Hammar and Honorary President Dieter Heckmann have visited the candidate for Masters World Cup 2015 in Russia.

Below is a short summary of their report:

Syktyvkar is about 2 flying hours from Moscow or St. Petersburg and belongs to the Republic of Komi. The modern city is situated 200 m above sea level, has about 230.000 inhabitants and offers various sightseeing possibilities.

Snow is there from end of October until beginning of May, but the ideal time for a Masters World Cup would be Mid of March.

Distance from airport to town is about 10 minutes and from town to the large and impressive cross-country stadium 15-20 minutes.

The tracks are first class and can be compared with Sovereign Lake, Canada (MWC 2011) and are located by 90 % in forest. The changing- and waxing facilitiesprovided in the stadium are top.

Very comfortable cabins (with sauna, refrigerator and vestibule) are situated about 2 minutes of walking distance from the stadium and in the stadium itself there is Hotel Olympia with also a good standard like the hotels in the city.

Cross-country skiing is the No. 1 sport in Syktyvkar with support from well-known sponsors, the city and the Republic of Komi. Especially noteworthy is the great hospitality of the population.

Many famous cross-country skiers are from Syktyvkar, e.g. Raisa Smetanina, Vasily Rotchev with daughter Olga and son Anatoly, Nikolay Bazhukov, Vladimir Legotin, Andrey Nutrikhin and Ivan Babikov (now Canada).

All requirements for hosting a Masters World Cup can be fulfilled and one is for sure: Syktyvkar is worth a journey.

The decision about this bid will be made during Annual Meeting of WMA in Pillerseetal in fall 2012.

Republic of Komi