By Le Figaro with AFP
Published instantly
Less than two years after being chosen, the Crans Montana resort could be excluded from the organization of the Worlds. GEPA pictures/ Mario Buehner-Weinrauch / Gepa / Panoramic
The Swiss resort could lose the organization of the event, indicated the International Ski Federation.
The Swiss resort of Crans Montana, chosen in May 2022 to host the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2027, could lose their organization due to failure to provide the required financial guarantees, announced the International Ski Federation. skiing (FIS).
“In his candidacy”the Swiss federation Swiss Ski had affirmed that these guarantees “had already been given by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Valais and the community of communes of Crans-Montana”explains the FIS in a press release Friday evening.
The world body relied on these declarations and designated on May 25, 2022 the Valais resort, which hosts its annual speed stage of the Women’s World Cup until Sunday , rather than Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) or Soldeu (Andorra) to host the Worlds in 2027.
But since then, Swiss Ski has informed the FIS “that it is not possible” for the three authorities concerned “to provide the required financial guarantees without a referendum, and asked to be exempted”continues the international federation.
“Therefore, it is clear that the confirmation offered by Swiss Ski in its application file†was “completely false”summarizes the FIS, questioned by the Swiss newspaper NZZ on the reasons why it has still not signed the host city contract.
The international federation has firmly ruled out granting “an exemption for a candidate who has made false declarations”perspective “very detrimental to the integrity of the application process and ultimately to alpine skiingâ€.
“If Swiss Ski cannot fulfill its commitments, the FIS will have no choice but to award the 2027 Alpine World Ski Championships to another candidate.”concludes the proceedings.
Organized every two years, in odd years to avoid conflict with the Winter Olympics, the Alpine Ski World Championships were held in Courchevel-Méribel in 2023, and the Austrian resort de Saalbach will welcome them in 2025.
