18 - 31 December
As we approach the end of 2023, sport is also taking a short break over Christmas and into the New Year. With fewer competitions lined up, we are reviewing the highlights of the next two weeks. Hong Kong is where the best Formation Latin dancers begin week one competing in the World DanceSport Federation World Championship. The first of two FIS Freestyle World Cup competitions feature in Austria's Innichem in a Ski Cross event. We remain in Austria and head to the market town of Steinach am Brenner for a Para Alpine World Cup. France's Courchevel and Italy's Madonna di Campiglio are the homes of the next FIS Alpine World Cups for women and men respectively. Both competitions have Slalom as the event. Moguls and Dual Moguls make up the second FIS Freestyle World Cup in Georgia's Bakuriani. We complete the snow sports competitions of the week with a Snowboard Parallel Slalom World Cup in Davos, Switzerland. The 2023/2024 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup enters three races in short succession. Belgium's Antwerp becomes the stop for Round 9 on Sunday.
Week two is a lot busier. Christmas Day in Sydney is the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2023 with the leader expected to reach Tasmania 7 to 8 days later. Uzbekistan's Samarkand brings the brightest chess players together to contest the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023. Future ice hockey stars gather in Sweden's Gothenburg for the IIHF Men's World Junior Championship. Again we have two FIS Alpine World Cup competitions. The Men are in Italy's Bormio for Downhill and Super G, while Austria's Lienz hosts the Women's Giant Slalom and Slalom. Jumping Mechelen in Belgium is the big show jumping event of the week. Round 10 of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup is in Belgium's Gavere, located in province of East Flanders.
Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany share three FIS Ski Jumping World Cup events. The women are in the latter, while the men feature in both resorts. The Netherland's Hulst completes Round 11 of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup and also the last of the year. We complete the major events of 2023 with a dance sport. The world's best country western dancers head to Dallas for the UCWDC Country Dance World Championships that opens on 31 December.
For more information and to plan your trip, visit UCOLOURS Premier Events.
Until next time, Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2024.