FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009
Men Leader Second Third
Nordic combined Anssi Koivuranta ( FIN ) Magnus Moan ( NOR ) Björn Kircheisen ( GER )
Ski jumping Gregor Schlierenzauer ( AUT ) Simon Ammann ( SUI ) Wolfgang Loitzl ( AUT )
Cross-Country , Overall Dario Cologna ( SUI ) Petter Northug ( NOR ) Axel Teichmann ( GER )
Cross-Country , Distance Axel Teichmann ( GER ) Dario Cologna ( SUI ) Pietro Piller Cottrer ( ITA )
Cross-Country , Sprint Ola Vigen Hattestad ( NOR ) Tor Arne Hetland ( NOR ) Renato Pasini ( ITA )
Women Leader Second Third
Cross-Country , Overall Aino-Kaisa Saarinen ( FIN ) Petra Majdič ( SLO ) Justyna Kowalczyk ( POL )
Cross-Country , Distance Justyna Kowalczyk ( POL ) Aino-Kaisa Saarinen ( FIN ) Marianna Longa ( ITA )
Cross-Country , Sprint Petra Majdič ( SLO ) Pirjo Muranen ( FIN ) Arianna Follis ( ITA )
World Cup discipline leaders prior to the World championships
As of 15 February 2009 , the top three World Cup positions were as follows : [ 35 ] [ 36 ] [ 37 ] [ 38 ]
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 (Czech: Mistrovství světa v klasickém lyžování Liberec 2009) took place 18 February - 1 March 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic. This was the fourth time these championships were hosted either in the Czech Republic or in Czechoslovakia, having done so at Janské Lázně (1925) and Vysoké Tatry (in both 1935 and 1970). The biggest sports event in the country's history, it hosted 589 athletes from 61 countries. Women's ski jumping and Men's Nordic combined 10 km mass start events debuted at these championships, both won by Americans Lindsey Van and Todd Lodwick, respectively. Norway won the most medals with twelve and most golds with five, all in the men's cross-country skiing events, including three from Petter Northug. Germany finished second in the total medal count with nine though none of them were gold (eight silver and one bronze). Finland finished third in the medal count with eight with three golds, all from Aino-Kaisa Saarinen in women's cross-country skiing. Fourth in total medal count, but second in gold medal count was the United States with six, including four golds, who prior to these championships, had won only three medals in all of the previous championships combined, including four medals in Nordic combined (Lodwick: two golds, Bill Demong: one gold and one bronze). Kikkan Randall became the first American woman to medal in cross country skiing at the world championships with her silver in the individual sprint. Besides the debut of women's ski jumping at these championships, the big winner in the jumping events was Austria with three medals and two each for Wolfgang Loitzl and Gregor Schlierenzauer. Adding the 10 km mass start, the Nordic combined format was changed from 7.5 km sprint and 15 km individual Gundersen to 10 km individual large hill (aka Large hill Gundersen) and 10 km individual normal hill (aka Normal hill Gundersen), respectively. Estonia's Andrus Veerpalu became the oldest gold medalist at 38 when he won gold in the men's 15 km event.