Saalbach returns to the World Cup calendar, St Anton Dropped

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is returning to the Alpine Ski World Cup, underlining its strategic importance in the international racing calendar: The venue for the 2025 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships will once again be part of the men's World Cup next season. A downhill and a Super-G are scheduled for February 27 and 28, 2027.

Saalbach's return is far more than a sporting signal – it shows that investments in quality, organization and sustainable structures pay off in the long run.

Vincent Kriechmayr can look forward to a speed weekend in Saalbach next season.

“It is particularly noteworthy that this solution was developed at very short notice and only formally proposed during the FIS Spring Meeting. The fact that we, together with Saalbach, were able to act quickly in this situation underscores Austria’s role as a reliable partner in the World Cup. We have also consciously assumed responsibility in the interest of the speed athletes to ensure a balanced and high-quality sporting calendar,” emphasizes ÖSV General Secretary Christian Scherer .

“Special thanks in this context go to the ORF, which supports this short-term adjustment and thus makes a significant contribution to the stability and quality of the overall product. We also thank the FIS for their trust – especially Urs Lehmann and Markus Waldner – who actively supported this approach.”The two speed races at the end of February will once again create an extraordinary atmosphere in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, a two-time World Championship venue.

The late February date remains organizationally challenging, but at the same time expresses a clear commitment: "Saalbach shows that it is ready to take on responsibility and establish itself as a permanent fixture in the World Cup in the long term. Alpine skiing needs strong, reliable venues – and Austria plays a central role here."

St. Anton is not on the World Cup calendar.

The cancellation of the women's races scheduled for January in St. Anton am Arlberg is regrettable from a strategic point of view: "Unfortunately, it was not possible to postpone the races by a week for the dates of January 9th and 10th in St. Anton – which would have been necessary due to the slope and accommodation situation, among other things. Discussions with Zauchensee also failed to produce a solution. Therefore, we had to inform the FIS that we could not hold the event."

“Regardless, our ambition remains clear: Austria will continue to be a strong and reliable host for women’s speed World Cup races,” Scherer concluded.