Over one million people came to watch what is being described as a great success for Norway’s capital city.

"Oslo 2011 will surely be remembered as spectacular championships. Only in Norway, the birth land of Nordic Skiing, could we expect such masses of spectators making their way to the venue, day in and day out, regardless of the weather. The atmosphere at the new Holmenkollen National Arena was simply unforgettable,” he said yesterday.

FIS Secretary Sarah Lewis tells The Foreigner in an email the event was a fantastic “folkefest (people’s festival). I was particularly satisfied with the excellent sports organisation on the field of play which enabled outstanding sports performances at the very highest level, wonderful medal ceremonies and the whole-hearted, enthusiastic and knowledgeable public who supported all the athletes, all captured by highest level of television production by the host broadcaster NRK.”

Ms Lewis believes other, future organisers stand to learn from those behind Oslo 2011. FIS will be conducting a debrief in Val di Fiemme in May, inviting key personnel from the competition to discuss events in detail.

“To pinpoint two lessons, the first one is that success of the home national team provides a key element to attract the public and media interest. The second is to create a "festival atmosphere" which is not only dependant on having the huge number of visitors that came to the competitions and medal ceremonies in Oslo, but by activating the event with entertainment to complement the sport,” she says.

Approximately 270,000 tickets were sold for the 11-day event. 35,000 camped overnight out in the woods, adding to the total of about a million fans and spectators that participated at the opening and evening ceremonies, as well as those who followed the event outside the stadium and along the cross-country trails.

According to FIS rules, Norway cannot host the next World Championships until 2019 at the earliest.

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