Matterhorn in the World Cup? “Absolute nonsense”

It would be a new superlative. A start at almost 4.000 meters, a journey time of 2:20 minutes and a cross-border route. The route, designed by veteran Didier Defago, would shed new light on alpine skiing, which must prepare for the future anyway. Under the leadership of the new FIS President Johan Eliasch, the World Cup is set to reinvent itself.

Introduction of various ski leagues and the abolition of Super G The aim is to make the experience clearer and to further bring the performance density between the competing athletes together. There is also talk of a so-called “mini-Olympics”. The descent on the Matterhorn should also make its contribution to further development. However, ORF ski expert and former professional Hans Knauss sees many weak points in the large-scale project. “That takes an enormous amount of energy” – Knauss is skeptical For the Austrian, one thing is clear: those who suffer from the new World Cup station are the athletes themselves. “I think it's basically great that this wonderful place Zermatt wants to invest in the Ski World Cup. But if you plan a descent at this altitude that will be 4 kilometers long and take 2:20 minutes, that's absolute nonsense," he told the View skeptical.

He is concerned about the health of the runners. Most injuries occur particularly in the last third of the run, which is why a descent with a journey time of around 2:20 minutes is just another risk. For comparison: the Lauberhorn descent in Wengen, Switzerland, takes around 2:30 minutes - but is significantly lower than the planned speed miracle on the Matterhorn. Whether Dominik Paris and Co. are prepared for the new superlative? © Christoph Niederkofler / FISI

While the start in Wengen is at 2.315 meters, the starting altitude of almost 4.000 meters would open up new dimensions in skiing. The considerable difference in altitude would have a major impact on the conditions for the athletes. “The thin mountain air in the Matterhorn region will put even more strain on the athletes. “That’s why a flat section of the route has to be deleted so that the descent is a maximum of 1:40 minutes long,” continued Knauss. Matterhorn also a chance The FIS is at a crossroads with this decision. Critical voices regarding the sustainability of skiing are repeatedly raised, Felix Neureuther only recently took a clear stance on this . At the same time, the association must also concentrate on marketing its product. How long can the World Cup be financed given the status quo?

In any case, new incentives would be created with a glacier spectacle on the Matterhorn. So far, Alpine skiing has understandably only been limited to a few specific regions of the world in terms of public interest. Such a race could, for example, establish itself at the level of the Streif in Kitzbühel and attract increased attention around the globe. In any case, the green light for a step towards the future has already been given . It still remains to be seen whether the athletes will be able to go the entire length.

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Matterhorn in the World Cup? “Absolute nonsense”

A run at the foot of the Matterhorn will add another attraction to the Alpine Ski World Cup. But the project by the Italian FISI and the Swiss Ski Association is not only met with approval. A major player in skiing was critical of the associations' ambitions.

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