The attempt to kick off the speed skiing events earlier in the World Cup season than before, which failed to happen at the first attempt last autumn, is to be re-attempted in November.
A new cross-border downhill ski course, the world's highest, was created between Zermatt in Switzerland and Cervinia in Italy last year with the plan to stage four Men's and Women's World Cup downhill races at the end of October and start of November 2022, about a month before the traditional start for the speed events in Lake Louise, Canada and Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA.
However the plans had to be cancelled due to inadequate snow cover, an issue that led to 75% of early season World Cup races planned for Europe last autumn being cancelled.
For 2023 the FIS are planning to run the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening a fortnight later than the 2022 planned dates, on November 11th/12th and 18th/19th, 2023. On the programme are two men's and two women's downhills.
In February, after the Men's World Championships Downhill race was staged at Courchevel, more than 400 athletes including all time World Cup wins record holder Mikaela Shiffrin and Norwegian crystal globe holding Downhill ski racing champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde signed a letter sponsored by climate action group Protect Our winters calling on the FIS to do more to fight climate change, including starting the race season later.
Tickets for the 2023 races will go on sale next Thursday, April 6th at 10am.