The women's Ski Jumping World Cup season was due to start in Lillehammer, but has now been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic ©Getty Images

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has announced next month’s cross-country, Nordic combined and ski jumping World Cup competitions in Lillehammer have all been postponed due to "uncertainty" over the coronavirus pandemic.

The events were due to be held from December 4 to 6, but the Norwegian Ski Association (NSA) and the FIS have decided to move them to later in the season.

Men's and women's Nordic combined and cross-country contests were scheduled, as well as a women's ski jumping event.

More than 27,000 coronavirus cases and almost 300 deaths have been recorded in Norway since the beginning of the global health crisis.

Ingvild Bretten Berg, NSA secretary general, said detailed plans for infection control had been prepared with guidance from health authorities, and "considerable work" had been done by organisers to ensure the "safe" staging of competitions.

But NSA President Erik Røste said he felt it was the "right decision" to postpone the events due to the "significant recourses needed both financially and humanly".

"Based on the difficult time we are currently in, the uncertainty and the consequences of the current status of COVID-19 prevention measures, the Norwegian Ski Association believes that it is not right to arrange the World Cup in Lillehammer right now," added Røste.

The Norwegian Ski Association and FIS are looking to move the Cross-Country World Cup leg in Lillehammer to later in the season ©Getty Images
The Norwegian Ski Association and FIS are looking to move the Cross-Country World Cup leg in Lillehammer to later in the season ©Getty Images

"We will now focus on finding new dates in consultation with FIS and the local organiser."

The FIS said it would work "as quickly as possible to find good solutions" for the events and look into "possible replacement dates".

While the competitions in Lillehammer have been postponed, the fifth and sixth stages of the men’s Ski Jumping World Cup are scheduled to go ahead in Nizhny Tagil in Russia from December 5 to 6.

But the events are expected to take place without spectators, while competitors are set to undergo coronavirus tests.

"For the safety of sports fans and participants in the competition, the entrance for spectators will be closed," a spokesman from Nizhny Tagil told Russia’s official state news agency TASS.

"As for the athletes, they will be required to pass PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests on the eve of their arrival in Russia and upon arrival in Nizhny Tagil.

"Only if the results of these tests are negative, they will be allowed to participate in competitions."