{"id":1982156,"date":"2026-06-10T09:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T06:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1982156"},"modified":"2026-06-10T09:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T06:35:20","slug":"after-the-matterhorn-cross-border-race-collapse-zermatt-switzerland-approves-new-world-cup-downhill-for-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1982156","title":{"rendered":"After the Matterhorn Cross-Border Race Collapse, Zermatt, Switzerland, Approves New World Cup Downhill for 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_410464\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-410464\" style=\"width: 836px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-410464 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHvAQMAAAD+SfxyAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD5JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20LL6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAICTAZyfAAFvrlOUAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"zermatt matterhorn glacier ride glacier paradise\" width=\"640\" height=\"495\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/glacier-ride-zermatt-e1781083767640.webp?resize=640%2C495&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/glacier-ride-zermatt-e1781083767640.webp?w=836&amp;ssl=1 836w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/glacier-ride-zermatt-e1781083767640.webp?resize=300%2C232&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/glacier-ride-zermatt-e1781083767640.webp?resize=768%2C594&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"495\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-410464 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/glacier-ride-zermatt-e1781083767640.webp?resize=640%2C495&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"zermatt matterhorn glacier ride glacier paradise\" width=\"640\" height=\"495\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-410464\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">World Cup races could return to \u00a0Zermatt by March 2028. | Image: Matterhorn Paradise<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The dream of World Cup ski racing beneath the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.matterhornparadise.ch\/de\">Matterhorn<\/a> is back on track. <\/strong>On Tuesday, June 9, residents of Zermatt, Switzerland, overwhelmingly approved plans to construct a new Alpine Ski World Cup downhill course on the famous Gornergrat, clearing one of the final major hurdles for the return of top-level speed racing to one of the most iconic backdrops in the sport.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The proposal passed with 159 votes in favor, four against, and two abstentions, giving it 96% support after the project\u2019s final opposition was withdrawn earlier this year. <\/strong>The vote comes two years after the collapse of the highly publicized Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening project.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FIS had signed a five-year agreement with Zermatt Bergbahnen to host four World Cup races each season, but the planned first-ever cross-border downhill between Switzerland and Italy never materialized.<\/strong> The Gran Becca course, which crossed the border from Zermatt into Cervinia, was scheduled to host World Cup downhills in November 2022 and again in November 2023. Both editions were canceled due to adverse weather and snow conditions. After shelving plans for a third attempt in 2024, FIS effectively ended the project, leaving Zermatt without the World Cup races that had been promised beneath the Matterhorn.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/the-race-that-never-was-fis-scraps-cross-border-race-from-switzerland-to-italy-at-matterhorn-ski-paradise\/\"><em><strong>The Race That Never Was: FIS Scraps Cross-Border from Switzerland to Italy<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The fallout briefly strained relations between Zermatt Bergbahnen and Swiss-Ski.<\/strong> Following the cancellation of the races, the resort operator moved to suspend elite summer training on the Theodul Glacier. The dispute was resolved in February 2025 when Swiss-Ski and Zermatt Bergbahnen signed a new 10-year agreement that secured long-term glacier training access through 2034.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_288318\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-288318\" style=\"width: 1178px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-288318 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAJRAQMAAADvYZTqAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAEVJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Gf6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4DC7oQAB\/i+3YgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"593\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?resize=640%2C593&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?w=1178&amp;ssl=1 1178w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?resize=300%2C278&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?resize=768%2C712&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?resize=600%2C556&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"593\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-288318\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_0863-min.jpeg?resize=640%2C593&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"593\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-288318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The finish area of the Gran Becca course \u2014 the race that never took place. | Image: Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Under the agreement, Swiss-Ski assumed responsibility for organizing summer training while Zermatt Bergbahnen continues to maintain and groom the slopes.<\/strong> The arrangement guarantees access not only for Swiss national teams but also for other World Cup nations and was hailed by Swiss-Ski as a major step toward reducing expensive and carbon-intensive training trips to the Southern Hemisphere. \u201cThe new agreement between Swiss-Ski and Zermatt is groundbreaking,\u201d Swiss-Ski co-CEO Walter Reusser said when the deal was announced. \u201cZermatt is the highest glacier ski area with the best conditions for speed training in Europe.\u201d As part of that agreement, assurances were also made that Zermatt would pursue World Cup races on a newly constructed Gornergrat downhill course.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That vision moved significantly closer to reality on Tuesday. <\/strong>The new course will be built in the Gornergrat ski area above Zermatt. According to plans presented to residents, the downhill will start at approximately 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) and descend nearly 1,000 vertical meters to the finish. The upper two-thirds of the track will be newly constructed, while the lower section will follow part of the historic Gornergrat race course that was a fixture on the international calendar until 1967.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Construction of the ski run will proceed regardless of whether FIS ultimately awards World Cup races to the venue, as the course is also intended to serve recreational skiers.<\/strong> To build it, sections of the existing ski area will be reconfigured and approximately 8,300 square meters (89,000 square feet) of forest will be cleared. Negotiations with more than 30 landowners were required before the project could be brought to a public vote.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Gornergrat project forms part of a broader redevelopment plan for the area.<\/strong> Zermatt is also studying a new gondola connecting Gornergrat at 3,089 meters (10,135 feet) with Stockhorn at 3,532 meters (11,588 feet), replacing a lift that ceased operation in 2007, although no construction timeline has been announced.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before World Cup racing can return, the new downhill must still receive FIS homologation and organizers must demonstrate they can satisfy all operational requirements for a World Cup event.<\/strong> If those approvals are secured, the first men\u2019s World Cup downhill is scheduled to take place on the Gornergrat in March 2028.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A return to World Cup racing at the iconic Matterhorn after a 60-year absence will certainly attract many ski racing fans to the legendary ski resort.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_387371\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-387371\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-387371 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-387371\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0003-1.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-387371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Matterhorn as viewed from the Gornergrat | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Cup races could return to \u00a0Zermatt by March 2028. | Image: Matterhorn Paradise The dream of World Cup ski racing beneath the Matterhorn is back on track. On Tuesday, June 9, residents of Zermatt, Switzerland, overwhelmingly approved plans to construct a new Alpine Ski World Cup downhill course on the famous Gornergrat, clearing one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1982156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1982156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1982156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1982156\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1982156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1982156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1982156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}