Challenged in Crans-Montana: Didier Défago, CEO of the 2027 World Championships
Image: Keystone
Daniel Bollinger, Head of Operations for the 2027 World Championships, at the closing ceremony for the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach
Image: Keystone
The FIS flag has been handed over
Image: Keystone
The Valais high plateau will host the Alpine World Ski Championships for the second time since 1987
Image: Keystone
Back then, the Swiss delegation led by Pirmin Zurbriggen won 14 medals
Image: Keystone
Challenged in Crans-Montana: Didier Défago, CEO of the 2027 World Championships
Image: Keystone
Daniel Bollinger, Head of Operations for the 2027 World Championships, at the closing ceremony for the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach
Image: Keystone
The FIS flag has been handed over
Image: Keystone
The Valais high plateau will host the Alpine World Ski Championships for the second time since 1987
Image: Keystone
Back then, the Swiss delegation led by Pirmin Zurbriggen won 14 medals
Image: Keystone
After Saalbach is before Crans-Montana. Didier Défago, CEO of the upcoming World Championships in Valais, talks about the objections to the construction of the finish stadium, problems with accommodation and the 1987 World Championships.
17.02.2025, 09:01
17.02.2025, 12:11
SDA
The World Championships in Saalbach are history, the FIS flag has been handed over to the delegation for the 2027 World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana. You yourself spent the first week of the World Championships in Glemmtal. What did you focus on as the organizer?
"I was mainly on the sporting side, looked at the slopes, had contact with people from the FIS and discussed the course of a World Championships with them. It was less about gathering information and more about getting an overview. At the same time, the people responsible from my team were also on site. They took their responsibilities seriously and took a close look at their area of responsibility."
What did the Salzburg team do well and where do you still see room for improvement?
"Every venue is different and that's why you can't compare Saalbach with Crans-Montana. You have to adapt to the geography. That makes it a bit more complex for us. Mobility is a major challenge. We can certainly learn something from Saalbach in this area. It was cramped there too, they didn't have too many parking spaces near the finish."
Mobility is one thing, accommodation is another - Crans-Montana is already reaching the limits of its capacity at World Cup races. How is this supposed to work at a World Championships?
"The one is connected to the other. We have to give more weight to mobility and expand it, not just focus on the destination, but think bigger. Spectators should be able to get to the races more quickly from the surrounding area. You can also see the whole thing in a positive light: It shows that people want to attend this event."
It's not going too far out on a limb to say that the World Championships in Crans-Montana are under a bad star. First the FIS threatened to take the World Championships away from you due to a lack of financial guarantees, now objections to the construction of the new finish stadium are threatening the staging of the World Championships. What is the current status?
"The talks are ongoing. The FIS has confirmed the World Championships several times in recent months. That's reassuring for us. Of course, the FIS is looking at various things, not just the infrastructure, but also the slope. Because the sport must remain the main spectacle."
There is no plan B, said municipal president Nicolas Féraud. In other words: there will be the World Championships with the new finish stadium or no World Championships at all?
"I wouldn't put it in such extreme terms. But it's true, there is no plan B for us at the moment. We need the space. I hope that a solution will be found with the neighbors in the coming weeks and months. From what I've heard, the talks are relatively positive at the moment."
The deadline for finding a solution is mid-March, says Féraud. What if no solution has been found by then?
"We'll discuss that when the time comes. In a situation like this, we have to take it day by day."
No World Championships in Crans-Montana in two years - is that even conceivable?
"No."
Alpine Ski World Championships have a long tradition in Switzerland. The first World Championships were held in Mürren in 1931, and the last to date in St. Moritz in 2017. Do you feel any particular pressure as the host?
"Sure, but hopefully every organizer feels that. After all, you are responsible for Switzerland's image, you carry it out into the world. Anyone who talks about Saalbach automatically talks about Austria. It will be no different in Crans-Montana. For us Swiss, Crans-Montana is in Valais. For everyone else, Crans-Montana is in Switzerland. Being able to host such a large event is not only important for the region, but for the whole of Switzerland."
Crans-Montana already hosted a World Championships in 1987. The championships went down as the most successful in the history of Swiss-Ski. The Swiss delegation secured 14 medals, including eight golds. You were nine years old at the time. What are your memories?
"I mainly remember the athletes' performances. I was there for the men's slalom when Joël Gaspoz, a skier from my village, was at the start. I also watched the combined live in the finish area."
You yourself raced at a home World Championships 16 years later. In St. Moritz, you competed in the giant slalom, the super-G and the combined.
"Competing in a home World Championships as an athlete is very special. You want to make people happy at home, your own family, supporters and sponsors. It's an opportunity to show something. The emotions are different to a World Championships abroad, where you usually only remember the results later on. In Switzerland, at home, it's the emotions and the communication with the audience that you remember most."
However, reminiscing is not an option at the moment. You recently held European Cup races in Crans-Montana, and next weekend the men's World Cup will be back on the Valais high plateau for the first time in 13 years. The program includes a downhill and a super-G. Are you prepared for the large crowds?
"Yes, we are in very good shape. It will be a big event for us, especially as it takes place right after the World Championships. Everyone's expectations are high: athletes, spectators, but also us."
