The new ski season begins this weekend in Sölden. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

From Sölden to Lillehammer: The new ski calendar

The Alpine Ski World Cup calendar for the 2025/26 winter season, which begins on Saturday in Sölden, includes 37 women's races and 38 men's races.

22 October 2025

From: apa/dl

Italian Federica Brignone is facing a season-long absence following her massive leg injury in April, so she won't be defending her title. In the men's event, Swiss Marco Odermatt is once again the favorite.

The women's program includes 17 speed races (9 downhill, 8 super-G) and 20 technical events (10 each in giant slalom and slalom). Overseas stops include Copper Mountain in the USA and Tremblant in Canada. Tarvisio is making a comeback (for the first time since 2011), replacing Cortina d'Ampezzo in mid-January. The organizer of the classic event has essentially been upgraded, awarding Olympic medals in February instead of World Cup points.

More technology than speed

The men's schedule isn't quite balanced between speed and technique either, with 18 (9 each in downhill and super-G) to 20 (9 in giant slalom and 11 in slalom). The women's races will be held immediately before the end of November in Copper Mountain, followed by Beaver Creek. A new addition is a super-G on December 27 in Livigno, where snowboarders, freeskiers, and ski freestylers will compete during the Winter Games. Traditionally, the men's alpine skiing event between Christmas and New Year's is held in Bormio, although the Winter Games will be held there in February.

Mikaela Shiffrin training in Sölden. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

The joint women's and men's finals are scheduled for March 21-25 in Lillehammer, Norway. Logistics synergies will be utilized at six venues in Sölden, Levi, Gurgl, Copper Mountain, Crans Montana (World Championship test), and Lillehammer, and races will be held on consecutive or the same days (for the final). In Val d'Isère, the races will be held on consecutive weekends, but in Kranjska Gora, there will be two months between them. The number of night races will remain limited; the men's races will be held under floodlights in Madonna di Campiglio and Schladming, and the women's races will be held in Courchevel, Semmering (slalom only), and Flachau.