"Nothing is ready!" World Cup in Narvik hangs in the balance

The Alpine Ski World Championships 2029 will take place in Narvik, Norway. As a test for the major event, a women's downhill and Super-G are planned in Narvik in March 2027. These races could now be removed from the World Cup calendar again.

"They have to work on everything"

Following an inspection, FIS Alpine Race Director Peter Gerdol deplores the significant delays in construction work in Norway. "They have to work on everything: the slope, snowmaking, lift, safety installations – everything. Nothing is finished, everything is still in progress," Gerdol is quoted by Sport1.

The races are still marked with a proviso in the current calendar. As long as the course is not completed, confirmation by the FIS is out of the question.

Organizers remain calm

Gerdol offered a comparison: "You can't host football matches if you don't have a pitch." To ensure the slope can be prepared in time for the World Cup races, snow production is scheduled to start as early as the beginning of December.

World Championship head Knut-Eirik Dybdal dismisses the concerns and sees no reason for alarm. The Norwegian emphasized that they are "pretty well" on schedule.

World Championships have priority

The two World Cup events are intended to serve as a test for the World Championships. However, the clear priority lies with the World Championships themselves and the dress rehearsal in the year prior.

Whether the course can be tested by the world elite as early as March 2027 now depends on the progress of the construction work and the report from the FIS inspection.