Under normal circumstances, the decision would have already been made in May at the FIS Congress in Thailand. However, due to the current situation, the event did not go ahead resulting in the FIS Council finally deciding with an online congress to announce the resort which would host the Alpine Ski World Championships 2025. With Saalbach Hinterglemm, the ÖSV entered the second round and brought the long-hoped-for contract to Austria with the concept “One Mountain – All Competitions”.

Saalbach Hinterglemm has shown great determination in recent years: As a partner with the Austria House at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang 2018, as a spontaneous replacement venue for the cancelled World Cup races in Sölden and Val d’Isere 2018, with only six weeks preparation time, and finally as a replacement venue for the cancelled World Cup races in China 2020 with less than two weeks preparation.

For Saalbach, it was a long and intensive journey from the application to the award of the contract. “We put a lot of energy and passion into the bid”, says Bartl Gensbichler, President of the Salzburger Ski Association and President of the Saalbach Hinterglemm Ski Club. “The joy is all the greater now that we have been awarded the contract. We have used the time between the originally planned award date and today efficiently and refined our concept. Nevertheless, we are now naturally lacking valuable preparation time. But our machinery is running like clockwork, and we have already proven many times that we work well under pressure. So, I am not worried that we will make a great ski festival out of the World Championships 2025”.

Peter Mitterer, Managing Director of the Hinterglemm Lift Company, continues: “We have a perfect team. Every member has the skills and know-how needed for his/her position. Everything works hand in hand, and everyone knows what they must accomplish. Of course, we face a huge workload between now and 2025.The new 12er KOGEL lift has already created an ideal training centre for the athletes, and the new Rosswald reservoir has laid a good foundation for further training slopes. The next step will be the construction of the new Zwölferkogel Nordbahn to put the finishing touches to our local mountain in Hinterglemm.”

“With Switzerland (Crans Montana/Valais), Germany (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) and Austria (Saalbach Hinterglemm), three equal partners have applied to host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2025. We are very honoured that Austria, with Saalbach Hinterglemm, has been awarded the contract. We would like to thank all our supporters for their confidence in us and assure them that we will again do everything in our power to make this World Championships, together with OK Saalbach, a true celebration of Alpine skiing. We are convinced that Switzerland and Germany are also two great organisers and wish them every success for the next attempt”, says ÖSV President Peter Schröcksnadel.

The Zwölferkogel in Hinterglemm is the venue for all disciplines, providing optimal conditions for the athletes as well as the entire production team. The central location, with only one finish area, facilitates the coordination between sport and visitors. The already existing infrastructure is used in the best possible way. As far as the sports facilities are concerned, they have already been tested in various races following their adaptation, based on the most recent sports data. The reconstruction of the Zwölferkogel lift, which was started immediately after the end of the season in March 2019, will give the finish area a new character and will offer considerable advantages and a reduced workload for the sport in the future.