The Swiss resort of Crans Montana, chosen in May 2022 to host the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2027, could lose their organization due to failure to provide the required financial guarantees, announced the International Ski Federation (FIS).
“In its application”, the Swiss federation Swiss Ski had affirmed that these guarantees “had already been given by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Valais and the community of municipalities of Crans-Montana”, explains the FIS in a press release Friday evening.
The world body relied on these declarations and designated on May 25, 2022 the Valais resort, which hosts its annual speed stage of the Women’s World Cup until Sunday, rather than Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) or Soldeu (Andorra) to host the Worlds in 2027.
But since then, Swiss Ski has informed the FIS “that it is not possible” for the three authorities concerned “to provide the required financial guarantees without a referendum, and has asked to be exempted,” continues the international federation.
“Therefore, it is clear that the confirmation offered by Swiss Ski in its application file” was “entirely false”, summarizes the FIS, questioned by the Swiss newspaper NZZ on the reasons why it has still not signed the contract host city.
The international federation firmly ruled out granting “a waiver to a candidate who has made false declarations”, a prospect “very detrimental to the integrity of the application procedure and, ultimately, to alpine skiing”.
“If Swiss Ski cannot fulfill its commitments, the FIS will have no choice but to award the 2027 Alpine Ski World Championships to another candidate,” concludes the body.
Organized every two years, in odd years to avoid conflict with the Winter Olympic Games, the Alpine Ski World Championships were held in Courchevel-Méribel in 2023, and the Austrian resort of Saalbach will host them in 2025.
