Facts and figures on the U18 World Championship in Radenthein

In one week’s time, on 6 September, Austria’s U18 women’s national ice hockey team will open the 2022 IIHF U18 Women´s World Championship Division IB against South Korea. Radenthein is hosting the event for the third time and provides optimal conditions for the approximately 140 players and support staff. Major events often highlight their significance with raw figures. We have taken a look at precisely those.

30 August 20222 min read

The teams will travel 38.630 kilometres to get to Radenthein and back home again. While the players from Chinese Taipei will cover no fewer than 9.247 kilometres each way to take part in the World Championship, the 550 kilometres from Katowice, Poland, to Radenthein seem almost like a Sunday outing.

Following China’s withdrawal after preparations were cancelled due to strict measures to contain the coronavirus, five nations will battle for promotion to Group IA: Denmark, South Korea, Poland, Chinese Taipei and Austria. 100 players and 40 support staff will gather in Radenthein. No fewer than 85 staff members will ensure smooth operations at every level and the finest Carinthian hospitality.

More than 1.700 overnight stays in the region can be attributed to the World Championship alone. Including all further spending by organisers, participants, officials, relatives and fans, an additional six-figure turnover is expected.

Radenthein in the ice hockey spotlight

The municipality is hosting a U18 Women’s World Championship for the third time. The event was most recently held at the foot of the Nockberge mountains in 2019. The number three also plays a central role in another respect, as this is the third attempt to stage the World Championship following two postponements due to Covid.

Everyone involved, led by General Manager Martin Kogler, made a strong case to the IIHF. 2.000 working hours were invested in the preparation phase alone. A further 5.500 will be added during the World Championship.

At the venue, each team will receive 50 pucks for training sessions, while 1.000 bananas and 1.000 apples will be provided during the World Championship. Thanks to Austria’s, and Radenthein’s in particular, water quality, which is unique in the world, the organisers are demonstrating environmental awareness by dispensing with plastic bottles.

The five teams and all officials are accommodated in a total of six partner hotels in Radenthein, Döbriach, Seeboden and Bad Kleinkirchheim. Thanks to the short travel distances, petrol and CO2 are saved on the two daily journeys to the ice rink for each nation.

On the sporting side, Denmark and Austria are regarded as the strongest favourites for promotion to Division IA. Fittingly, this pairing will also conclude the tournament. Before then, however, the Austrian side must overcome South Korea, Poland and Chinese Taipei. These will be no easy tasks, with the Asian teams considered technically highly accomplished, while Poland will present their customary battling strength.

To be as World Championship-ready as Radenthein, the team will face Women´s Hockey League side Bozen in a test game this weekend. The promotion mission begins on 6 September!