Weathernews, Inc. (head office: Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi; CEO: Chihito Kusabiraki) provided weather support to the Cross Country Japan National Team in the IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup hosted by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Pyeongchang, South Korea in March 2017. The Company contributed to victory by dispatching the Sports Weather Team to the venue, and providing weather forecast and observation data, providing an advantage in wax conditions and skiing strategy. The event was also held as a test for the winter sports festival to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018, and the experience and data obtained in this on-site study will be used in preparations for next year’s Winter Games.

Accompanying Cross Country Japan National Team to Event Preceding the Pyeongchang Paralympics

  The Weathernews Sports Weather Team supported the Paralympic Cross Country Japan National Team for the first time in the third stage of the World Cup held by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Pyeongchang partly as a test for the winter sports festival to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018.
   The staff went on site on March 10, and provided weather forecasts including temperature and snowfall information that could be used for making decisions when the Japan National Team formulated strategy and the wax coach selected the proper type of wax. Furthermore, to obtain detailed data on conditions required for formulating strategy, observation points were set up in 40 locations at the venue, and the observation results were provided to the team every day.

Comment from Hideki Arai, Paralympic Cross Country Japan National Team

   “Being able to quickly and accurately determine weather forecasts in the Pyeongchang Paralympics venue, where weather conditions change rapidly, is an essential condition for preparing skis, and wax and structure are extremely important for cross country.
　In this event preceding the Paralympics, we worked with the wax team with the full support of Weathernews, Inc., and the forecasts of snow temperature, air temperature, humidity and weather were spot on for each time at each key point of the course. This weather forecast support led to a gold medal being won by Yoshihiro Nitta, who is aiming for the center pole at the Pyeongchang Paralympics next year.
　I think the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the world first attempt for such full-scale weather forecasts to be conducted on a cross country skiing course.”

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