In three years, the Swiss ski stars are supposed to compete for medals in Crans-Montana like they did at the legendary 1987 World Championships. But something crucial is still missing: the contract with the FIS. If no agreement is reached, there could be a fiasco.
Fans along the downhill course at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Crans-Montana in January 1987.
Keystone
A spring festival, sorry: it was a ski festival at the start of the weekend in Crans-Montana. Lara Gut-Behrami opened it with a snap, her 44th World Cup victory, fourth in a row, seventh this season. In second place: Jasmine Flury, downhill world champion a year ago.
Both Swiss women were surprised at the finish that they were in the lead because it didn’t really feel good, they said. And yet they ended up on the podium in this week of racing, which had started with a lot of discussion. With the double-digit temperatures, the snow was even softer than usual on the sunny slope in Crans-Montana, meaning the sense and nonsense of the target jump were discussed. Eventually the goal was moved up by four goals – and the jump was no longer an issue.
Lara Gut-Behrami takes the lead on home snow with an incredible run 🙌⛷️#fisalpine pic.twitter.com/7V2fDKL4ZH
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 16, 2024
And this is how the first day of racing ended, just as the Swiss hope for the 2027 World Ski Championships. Exactly 40 years after the magical Swiss Festival of 1987, the best in the world are to be chosen again on the Valais plateau. At that time, eight out of ten gold medals went to the local drivers around Maria Walliser and Pirmin Zurbriggen.
Crans-Montana was awarded the World Cup almost two years ago. The preparations are ongoing; The organizing committee is negotiating with the individual hotels, making safety adjustments on the slopes and planning a 75 million franc budget.
So all is well – if it weren’t for one tiny detail: The World Cup contract between the world association FIS with its president Johan Eliasch, the organizing association Swiss Ski and the organizing committee has not yet been signed.
Who should sign the contract?
At Swiss Ski, the case has “top priority,” says Diego Zuger, CEO Commercial. “We are well advanced in the negotiations and there is also financial agreement. But because the FIS changed the conditions during the negotiations, we still don’t have a solution to the last point.” This is about responsibilities and the question of liability.
At the NZZ’s request, the FIS sent a written statement on the case, which it also published on its website. She writes that Swiss Ski stated when applying that the association had already received financial guarantees from the federal government, the canton of Valais and the association of municipalities of Crans-Montana. However, Swiss Ski now states that it is not possible to give these guarantees without referendums. The information provided during the candidacy was therefore incorrect.
Swiss Ski “formally” rejects the accusation of not keeping the promises made during the candidacy phase. Various allegations in the FIS statement are not true. “Swiss Ski has had fixed commitments from the federal government, the canton and the municipalities for support contributions since the beginning, the amount of which has long been agreed. Nothing has changed in these general conditions since then.”
In #CransMontanaan unforgettable skiing festival awaits you from 16 to 18 February during the 2024 Audi #FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women ⛷ 🎊
Find out more about the programme here👇https://t.co/jylNqXAptQ#skiworldcup #fisalpine #switzerland pic.twitter.com/pxLvUmW5l9
— Crans-Montana (@cransmontana) January 26, 2024
Up until Eliasch’s presidency, the World Cup candidates had received the contract from the FIS around six months before the title fights were awarded and were then able to submit questions or give feedback. On the day of the election, the conditions were known and the contract was signed by the three parties. This was also the case when Swiss Ski and Crans-Montana had already applied for the 2025 World Cup; The right to host the event ultimately went to the Austrian town of Saalbach.
Swiss Ski notes that the contract was not present when the 2027 World Cup was awarded to Crans-Montana in May 2022. When he came later, the conditions were not the same as usual at previous events.
What happens if the parties don’t agree? The FIS then has no alternative but to award the 2027 World Cup to another candidate, writes the world association. A harsh statement, even a threat.
Didier Défago is pushing for a quick solution
Until a solution is found, the situation will have an impact at an operational level. “For example, we cannot fix partnerships,” says 2010 Olympic champion Didier Défago, who is managing director of the 2027 World Cup and is pushing for the contract. “We have an event to organize and we absolutely need to clarify the outstanding issues as quickly as possible.”
This problem does not exist for the 2025 Freestyle World Championships in the Engadine, where FIS boss Eliasch has signed. There is no comparison, writes the FIS; Swiss Ski can easily meet the obligations of the much smaller event. On the one hand, there is more money involved with the Alpines. On the other hand, it is not too far-fetched to think that Eliasch’s attitude could also have other reasons. The relationship between him and Swiss Ski President Urs Lehmann is tense. The two were competitors in the election of the FIS Presidium in 2021, and since then they have clashed several times; sometimes you get the impression that it’s about a power struggle.
Like the last time in January, when the FIS accused Lehmann of “unethical behavior” in a statement. In the discussion about planning the World Cup calendar and catch-up races, Lehmann said that the problem was that the calendar was only made by one person from home. Presumably he was referring to Elijah.
There are other sources of conflict in the collaboration with the FIS, such as the new contract for centralized media and marketing rights in the World Cup, which Eliasch signed last summer. Swiss Ski is in discussions with the FIS along with the other national associations.
🎿Crans-Montana will organize the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2027! 🏆The FIS awarded the organization of this event, 40 years after the memorable edition of 1987
👉https://t.co/Xl8MgQUpwv#cransmontana #fisalpine #cransmontana2027 #valais #wallis #inlovewithswitzerland pic.twitter.com/wyYzn9JHeb— Crans-Montana (@cransmontana) May 25, 2022
No World Cup final as a main rehearsal
But back to Crans-Montana again. Défago and his OC are pushing ahead with the work despite the lack of a contract. “I take it day by day and go in the direction I think is right.”
For his team, the world championships already begin when they hold the World Cup races in Crans in the next two years. Two men’s speed races are scheduled to take place next winter; In 2026 – also as a test for logistics and organization – two women’s and two men’s races on four consecutive days.
Normally, the World Cup venue hosts the World Cup final as a main rehearsal a year before the event. This was not a realistic option for Crans-Montana. Due to the sunny location of the area, the slopes are heated up so much that around ten ski races in mid-March would hardly be possible.
If only the weather were the only problem.