Despite its better judgment and conviction, WMA has decided to augment its recent announcement on accommodation availabilities for the 2009 Lahti Stadia championships. WMA cannot and will not defend individual price levels, as those are not set by WMA and customarily reflect market rates. However, WMA can confirm that the actual prices quoted by Lahti Travel are within the contracted ranges that were disclosed to the GA assembly which (and not Council) awarded the championships to Lahti. Furthermore, neither WMA as an organization nor any of its Council members has or will benefit from accommodation bookings – directly or indirectly, and it is and has always been the aim of WMA to organize the best possible championships in all respects for the benefit of participating athletes.

A number of selected examples of arrangements made by athletes speak for themselves:

Booking through a well established German tour operator for athletes for the total duration of the championships at the priciest hotel in Lahti city amounts to less than EUR 140/day for a double room occupancy by two persons, including breakfast.

Booking through the official LOC travel bureau for the duration of the championships by a group of six in a well known downtown Lahti hotel costs approximately EUR 120/day for two people in a double room, including breakfast.

Booking by a group of four through private arrangements in advertised quarters within the Lahti region, about 15 km from Lahti city, for the total cost of less than EUR 70/day for two persons in a double room, including breakfast.

The cost of accommodation in Lahti is considered reasonable under today’s conditions but this does not mean that all of these rates are low. They are not.

As presently advised the current status of Lahti accommodations is that rooms are available for occupancy in Lahti and the outlying Region, within various price ranges.

Friedel Schunk
WMA-Treasurer