Extended TV coverage and a great team of experts for the 2008 FIS Grand Finals

THE FIS Grand Finals 2008 will be provided extended news coverage by the over 300 members of the press who have already secured their credentials to the event. But even the TV and radio numbers are impressive: 28 TV networks from 13 European nations have acquired the tv rights of the races, along with 12 radio broadcasters, three of which come from Croatia only. That makes for some 200 accredited staff, including technicians, ENG crews and commentators, all working almost around the clock to bring the best images and the most interesting backstage action of the Finals to the tv audience.

The biggest delegation comes from Germany, with ZDF deploying a large crew of 46 people. Aside from the live coverage, the German TV will also be broadcasting from a spectacular Glass Studio set up in the proximity of the Stelvio ski stadium, where special guests and athletes will be welcomed to analyze and comment on the events of the day.

Indeed, commentators will play a big part in the show, bringing even more life to the spectacular images of the races and going in-depth on the technical matters. Overall, broadcasters at the FIS Grand Finals 2008 are going to employ maybe one of the best experts team ever, with the likes of Hans Knauss, Karin Roten, Thomas Sykora, Antoine Deneriaz, Hilde Gerg, Spela Pretnar, Mario Reiter, Armin Assinger, Armin Bittner, Paolo De Chiesa, Piero Gros, Tobias Hellmann, Urs Lehmann, Florence Masnada, Barbara Merlin, Bernard Russi, Elena Tagliabue and Pietro Vitalini. An astonishing group of champions that altogether put on the table 6 Olympic Games gold medals, 7 World Championships titles, 1 Overall Crystal Globe and 10 discipline titles, 84 World Cup wins and 14 Junior World Championships medals (Tobias Hellman alone contributes with 8, three of them gold medals!).

Ten years after his retirement and 20 years after his amazing double gold medal performance at the Calgary Winter Olympics, Alberto Tomba will join RAI commentators for the technical races scheduled on Friday and Saturday. That sums up another 50 World Cup wins, 1 overall World Cup, 8 discipline titles, 5 Olympic medals (3 of which are gold medals) and 4 World Championships medals (2 gold). No doubt that when it comes down to comment upon the FIS Grand Finals events, all these veteran champions will know what they are saying!