Brazen attempt at fraud under the Matterhorn. © pixabay

Brazen fraud: Matterhorn bans entire skiing nation

An incident is causing a stir in Zermatt: the Croatian ski team is no longer allowed to train on the Matterhorn downhill run.

July 22, 2024

From: sn

The reason for this is a rule violation in which the team tried to pass off professional European Cup riders as junior athletes. "The Croatians cheated us by mixing European Cup riders with the juniors," explained Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen.

The team had reserved a training slope for young athletes, but during checks it turned out that experienced professionals were also among them. As a result, the Croatians were immediately expelled from the training area, and the Croatian juniors are also no longer allowed to train in Zermatt this summer.

Professionals were already banned

The incident comes against the backdrop of a dispute over the Matterhorn downhill in the World Cup calendar. After the International Ski Federation (FIS) cancelled the races planned for the coming winter due to bad weather, the operators of the Zermatt slopes decided not to allow professionals to train on the course in the summer. This measure will remain in place until the Matterhorn downhill is part of the World Cup program again.

This ban hits the professional teams hard, as the Zermatt piste is the only skiable track in Europe in summer. Alternatives, such as training camps in the Andes of South America, are expensive and difficult to implement for many teams.

It is still unclear whether the training ban for the Croatians will remain in place in the future. However, Markus Hasler indicated that a resumption of training opportunities could depend heavily on the return of the Matterhorn downhill to the World Cup calendar. Until then, the athletes will have to look for alternative training options, for better or for worse.