Paris (AFP)

The Nordic Skiing World Championships open Thursday in Oberstdorf (Germany) until March 7, at the heart of a season marked by the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused the cancellation of several World Cup stages.

One year before the Beijing Winter Olympics, the French team can aim for several medals in cross-country skiing in the wake of its leader Maurice Manificat, who is participating at 34 in his 7th Worlds.

“The goal is gold in the 15 km skate,” he told Nordic magazine of the format on which he won silver in 2015.

Comfortable in "skating", the Blues will aim for a new medal in the relay after bronze at the Olympic Games in 2018 and bronze again at the Worlds-2019, the only French medal in these championships two years ago.

Regularly on the World Cup podiums, Richard Jouve and Lucas Chanavat will be outsiders in the individual sprint from Thursday, in the classic format, but are among the favorites for the team sprint disputed in "skating".

These Worlds, where very high temperatures are expected for the first days of competition, are marked by the introduction of the women's Nordic combined with individual competition.

The skiers took part in the first Women's World Cup in history in Ramsau (Austria) in December.

The Oberstdorf Nordic Ski Worlds program:

Thursday February 25

11:30 am: cross-country skiing, classic style sprint for women and men

5:00 p.m .: ski jump, women's small springboard competition

Friday February 26

10:15 a.m .: Nordic combined, men's small hill event

5.15 p.m .: ski jumping, women's team competition

Saturday February 27

10:00 am: Nordic combined, individual women

11:45 am: cross-country skiing, women's skiathlon

1:30 p.m .: cross-country skiing, men's skiathlon

4.30 p.m .: ski jumping, competition on a men's small hill

Sunday February 28

10:00 am: Nordic combined, men's team event

1:00 p.m .: cross-country skiing, men's and women's team sprint, freestyle

5:00 p.m .: ski jumping, mixed team competition

Tuesday March 2

1:15 p.m .: cross-country skiing, 10 km freestyle women

Wednesday March 3

1:15 p.m .: cross-country skiing, 15 km freestyle men

5.15 p.m .: ski jumping, competition on women's large hill

Thursday March 4

11h00: Nordic combined, men's large hill event

1:15 p.m .: cross-country skiing, women's 4x5 km relay

Friday March 5

1:15 p.m .: cross-country skiing: men's 4x10 km relay

5:00 p.m .: ski jumping: men's large springboard competition

Saturday March 6

10:00 am: Nordic combined, men's team sprint event

12:30 p.m .: cross-country skiing, 30 km classic style women

5:00 p.m .: ski jumping, men's team competition

Sunday March 7

1:00 p.m .: cross-country skiing, 50 km classic style men

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