Menu

NEWS

Media Releases
21.09.2022

Successful FIS inspection: «The Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening» is on the home stretch

On Monday and Tuesday, 19/20 September 2022, the final inspection by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and those responsible for the «Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening» took place in Cervinia, Italy. The season opener for the speed athletes will be held for the first time on the «Gran Becca» at the end of October and beginning of November. The FIS experts agree: from an organizational perspective, nothing stands in the way of successfully staging the first cross-border World Cup races in history.

News
14.07.2022

Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening: success through innovation

There are just over 100 days to go until the first cross-border race in the history of the Alpine Ski World Cup: the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening. On 29/30 October and 5/6 November 2022, downhill athletes will compete for the first time at the season opener in Zermatt/Cervinia. The organisers are keen to extend the innovative spirit of this bi-national event across the race concept.

Media Releases
05.05.2022

Zermatt-Tourism: "Gran Becca": The new course in the world cup calendar

The first cross-border race in the history of the Ski World Cup will be held on the "Gran Becca" course. The run, which starts on Gobba di Rollin above Zermatt in Switzerland and finishes in Laghi Cime Bianche above Cervinia in Italy, stretches over four kilometres and almost 1,000 metres in altitude. Two Europa Cup races are planned to be held initially in autumn 2022, followed by the World Cup races for the first time in autumn 2023.

Media Releases
28.01.2022

FIS Media Info: Zermatt/Cervinia included in Alpine World Cup calendar 2022/23

The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup calendar is growing: Zermatt/Cervinia will be part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup as early as the 2022/23 season, making history with the first crossborder Alpine World Cup races.

Media Releases
13.05.2021

Speed Opening am Matterhorn: Ein visionäres und innovatives Projekt

Künftig sollen die Speed-Athletinnen und -Athleten am Fusse des Matterhorns in eine alpine Weltcup-Saison starten. Ein entsprechendes länderübergreifendes Projekt des Italienischen Wintersportverbandes FISI und von Swiss-Ski sowie der Tourismus-Destinationen Zermatt und Cervinia konkretisiert sich. Bereits im Herbst 2023 könnte das erste Weltcup-Speed-Opening in Zermatt/Cervinia durchgeführt werden.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

© Keystone

The first cross-border Ski World Cup races in the history of the World Cup will be held on the «Gran Becca» course.

The initiator and one of the driving forces behind this unique project is Franz Julen (pictured here on the left with course builder Didier Défago).

For Didier Défago, it is important to design a course that is equally attractive for the riders and the spectators. On the «Gran Becca», the athletes reach a maximum speed of 135km/h.

Former ski racer, downhill Olympic champion and multiple world champion Pirmin Zurbriggen is ambassador and advisor to the Speed Opening: «The World Cup races in Zermatt and Cervinia are a dream come true.»

Didier Défago, 2010 Olympic downhill champion and designer of the «Gran Becca» race course, explains the course layout to media representatives.

In the face of the world-famous Matterhorn, a total of four downhill races take place - two each for the men and two for the women.

On 29 and 30 October, two men's downhill races are on the programme, and on 5 and 6 November, the women prove themselves in the supreme discipline.

The Matterhorn Cervinia Speed Opening thus opens the speed season and enables the speed athletes to start the season a month earlier than before.