"Rockstar" Alpine Sports

FIS boss Lehmann announces World Cup revolution!

Urs Lehmann(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

In his new job as CEO of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Urs Lehmann aims to further develop snow sports – and the world federation itself! After his first 100 days as FIS CEO, the long-standing Swiss Ski President said in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency that the Alpine World Cup is set to be expanded in the coming years. This should be noticeable from the 2027/28 season onwards....

"The goal is around 45 to 50 races per season for both women and men, provided there are no major events. In seasons with World Championships or Olympic Games, there would be slightly fewer. We have to move away from the idea that everyone has to compete in every race," said Lehmann.

The season needs to be extended and the finals postponed by a week. "On the other hand, the first part of the season should be condensed. There should be no two-week gap without races after Sölden. We also need to distribute the races in the various disciplines more cleverly than we did this season, for example." We should also consider, for example, holding a slalom in Argentina, where many nations train in the summer.

Urs Lehmann with ÖSV President Roswitha Stadlober(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Alpine skiing: the "rock star" among the disciplines
The figures show that alpine skiing is the discipline that generates the most added value. "Freestyle is the youngest child, but perhaps the one with the greatest potential. Anyone who takes an entrepreneurial, business-oriented, and strategic approach must first take their 'rock star' – in our case, alpine skiing – to the next level."

"Anyone who calls for fewer races is not seeing the big picture. In ski racing, athletes train for eight months, but only compete for four months. My vision – and I'm not just talking about alpine skiing here – is for us to become more global. The growth markets are definitely not in Europe, but in Asia and the US."

The spectator numbers, especially in Austria, show that the Ski World Cup is alive and well...(Bild: urbantschitsch mario)

Lehmann also envisions introducing a uniform global points system in alpine skiing, which could be implemented starting in 2030. Other sports such as tennis have such a "system that works worldwide and across all levels," according to the FIS CEO. "We are looking at such sports. In an ideal world, we will also be able to move to a uniform system within four years."

Women's Four Hills Tournament a "milestone"
Lehmann also sees great potential in other sports. "The Four Hills Tournament is clearly also very important. It's a top product. And starting next season, there will probably also be a Women's Four Hills Tournament. A milestone," he said. He calls the Tour de Ski "the crown jewel of cross-country skiing." However, interest in this product – and thus its value – must increase significantly again.

Lehmann wants to whip the FIS, which is stuck in outdated structures, into shape "as quickly as possible." To this end, he is working closely with Johan Eliasch. He was clearly defeated by the Swedish-British billionaire in the 2021 battle for the FIS presidency.