FORT KENT (AP) – The Maine Winter Sports Center estimates about 3,000 spectators a day will come to northern Maine for the Biathlon World Cup competition during the first week of March.

The competition is expected to have an economic impact of $3.5 million, organizers said Thursday.

Biathlon combines the sports of cross-country skiing and target shooting. The competition from March 3-6 will bring to Fort Kent biathletes who competed in last year’s Olympics at Salt Lake City.

The Maine Sports Center, created with funding from the Libra Foundation, is spending about $500,000 to hold the competition for the top 60 biathletes in the world, said Max Cobb, chief of the competitions.

“We are working to develop a weeklong festival for the World Cup,” said George Dumond, logistics chief for the competitions. “The actual competitions are only about two hours a day, and we are working up activities to entertain people the remainder of the day.”

Along with spectators at the sports center, the competitions will be televised live to an estimated 25 million people in Europe and northern Asia. A 40-person team from Germany’s largest television network will be in Maine to broadcast the competitions, officials said.

Construction workers and volunteers have been busy since midsummer preparing for the events.

Spectator tunnels have been added to allow foot traffic under trails used in the competition, underground wiring for the shooting stadium is being installed, and bleachers for 500 spectators will be going up at the stadium. Also under construction is a large ski-service building.

Areas around the stadium for more than 2,500 spectators to view the competition also have been cleared. Eight miles of wiring have been installed for television cameras, as well as another two miles of underground wiring.

AP-ES-10-31-03 1435EST

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