Will the 2031 World Cup take place in Oberstdorf? © APA/afp / ODD ANDERSEN

Nordic World Ski Championships 2031 back in Germany?

The German Ski Association is bidding with Oberstdorf to host the 2031 World Championships in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.

June 02, 2025

From: dpa

Alternatively, an application with Oberwiesenthal and Klingenthal in Saxony would have been possible. According to the DSV, the decision for the Bavarian location was made in a joint voting round among the organizers.

"After jointly weighing the German bid opportunities and carefully examining the infrastructure requirements for hosting the World Championships, we have approved a German bid with Oberstdorf as the location," Heiko Krause, President of the Saxon Ski Association, is quoted as saying in a DSV statement. "However, our goal remains to bring the Nordic World Ski Championships to Saxony in the foreseeable future."

German chances are good

Originally, a German bid was planned for 2033. However, because the Austrian towns of Ramsau and Bischofshofen are no longer bidding for 2031, the German Ski Federation (DSV) has changed its strategy. The shorter preparation time favors Oberstdorf, where the World Championships were held in 1987, 2005, and 2021. The title fights four years ago, held in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, went down in history as a ghost World Championship without spectators.

In 2021, the spectator seats remained empty. © APA/afp / CHRISTOF STACHE

The award for 2031 is expected in about a year. The competitor is Planica in Slovenia, which hosted the World Championships as recently as 2023. Germany's chances of being awarded the contract are considered good.