The Nordic Championship in © TIMBERSPORTS© at ElmiaWood in Jönköping!

© © On June 8th, the Nordic Championship in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS will be decided at ElmiaWood in Jönköping. Athletes from all over Scandinavia will compete in speed, raw power and precision with an ax and a . For the first time during a Nordic Championship a female athlete will participate - the swedish contestant Malou Nordin.

ElmiaWood is the world's largest international fair, with many international visitors, from countries like Brazil, Canada, the U.S. and Russia. It is the first time that the Nordic Championship in © © STIHL TIMBERSPORTS is arranged on ElmiaWood and organizers are expecting around 50,000 visitors.

© © STIHL TIMBERSPORTS is divided into two separate competitions; Single and Team Contest. The athletes who qualifies from the Nordic Championship will compete against 100 international athletes from 23 nations gathered at the World Championships in Stuttgart in October, to fight for the world title.

- It is really great that the Nordic Championship is held in Sweden again. We have a strong swedish team who competes, including Hans-Ove Hansson, who won gold at the Championships in Roskilde last year and also represented Sweden in the World Cup. We are also proud, that for the first time in the history of the sport, to present a European female contestant, says Gunilla Andersson, Marketing Manager for STIHL Norden.

On Älvdalen Educational Center 18-year-old Malou has, along with several other young athletes, qualified for this year's Rookie Team. The trend shows that the sport is growing stronger, and the interest among young practitioners is great.

- This is one of most fun experience I have had and I have been training a lot and become stronger. I want to do well in the competition and show that this sport is also for girls, says Malou Lundin.

© © The Nordic Championship in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS starts on Saturday, June 8, from 9:30 to 16:00 The Team Competition starts at 15.00.

If you want to attend the Press briefing with STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS©, contact: Donya Mohammadian, Press contact Mobile: +46 73-416 62 44, email: [email protected] Gunilla Andersson, STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS© Tel: +46 70-191 90 21, email: [email protected]

Time: 9.00 Location: STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS© exhibition Stand 129 at ElmiaWood.

For further information about the STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS©, please contact: Gunilla Andersson, STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS© Tel: +46 70-191 90 21, email: [email protected]

More information about ElmiaWood can be found at: http://elmia.se/sv/wood

What is STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS©? STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS©SERIES is an international series of competitions. It originated in Canada, USA and New Zealand where held local competitions to determine who was the best at his profession. Over time, tests of strength and skill evolved into professional competitions at a high athletic level.

Established in 1985, the STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS© Series assembles the world's top lumberjack athletes to compete in the Original Extreme Sport. The Series is seen by over 20 million viewers annually in over 62 countries around the world on networks like Eurosport, The Outdoor Channel and the ESPN networks, where it is now recognized as the second longest running show behind only 'SportsCenter'.

Athletes compete in a variety of disciplines based on traditional skills to determine the best all-around lumberjack. Disciplines include Hot Saw, Single Buck, Springboard, Standing Block Chop, Stock Saw and Underhand Chop. The different disciplines focus on a combination of skill and strength where the equipment many times can weigh up to 30 kg with a force of 80 hp.

More information as well as images and videos can be found at http://www.stihl.com/timbersports/ http://www.stihl.se/stihlreg-timbersportsreg.aspx or on the media gateway http://media.stihl-timbersports.com

STIHL© TIMBERSPORTS© is a registered trademark of Andreas STIHL AG & Co. KG.