Didier Défago: "The fans experienced great emotions"

As early as Friday, 1,000 children filled the stands to cheer on the stars of the White Circus during the second downhill training session. Over the weekend, 25,000 fans gathered along and at the bottom of the Nationale slope to witness the competitions. A sight that thrilled Didier Défago, who was experiencing his first edition as CEO of the World Cup races on the Haut-Plateau.

Didier Défago, can we say this weekend was a success?

Our goal was to create a festival of skiing, allowing people to witness a great show and feel intense emotions—and in that sense, we can say it was a total success.

Another objective was to learn lessons for next winter’s World Cup races and, of course, the 2027 World Championships?

It will be crucial to sit down with the entire team to analyze how everything unfolded. Some elements indicate that we’re on the right track, with ideas that confirm our strategy is the right one. Now, we need to keep growing and gaining momentum. This is something we had already highlighted when discussing the World Championships and the steps we need to take. This year, we wanted to lay a foundation across various sectors—the course, infrastructure, mobility, communication, and hospitality. Many signs show that we are moving in the right direction.

Specifically, what needs improvement?

It’s hard to say right now because we need to analyze everything with our team. There are also aspects that aren’t immediately visible, such as security. We received tremendous support from the cantonal police, regional police, civil protection, and the army. They also contributed to organizing these competitions, as did the local municipalities, ski lift operators, and numerous external partners. Everyone will now have to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. The strength of our team lies in having a clear vision but also the ability to adapt from day to day.

After your first experience as CEO of the Crans-Montana World Cup races, what are you most proud of?

The incredible popular enthusiasm. One of the highlights was bringing all the schoolchildren to the second training session on Friday. During the team captain’s meeting, we had announced that 800 to 1,000 children would be attending and asked the athletes to engage with them, sign autographs, and they did it wonderfully. These moments surely left a mark on the young spectators. Our slogan is "Inspiring the Future", and we strive to support young athletes like Malorie Blanc or Franjo von Allmen, creating strong emotions that connect with our audience. Franjo delivered in the downhill, and our goal is to generate emotions and offer a full-fledged experience for the spectators.

There is also an ambition to double the capacity of the finish stadium at Barzettes, right?

Absolutely. Right now, we have 6,000 spectators, but we’d love to reach 10,000. To achieve this, we need to improve accessibility and ensure we can welcome everyone comfortably. We’ll explore different possibilities, and I have complete trust in Yves Mittaz and his team, who have vast experience in infrastructure management. We also noticed that the Ycoor fan zone was a big success, with 2,000 people following Saturday’s downhill from there.

Some skiers mentioned that the downhill course was perhaps a bit too easy. Will there be adjustments?

We knew it wouldn’t be easy to shape the terrain exactly as we wanted, to prepare jumps and undulations, without knowing exactly how the course would be set. Let’s not forget that it had been 40 years since we last raced from the summit of Bella Lui. Skiing has evolved, techniques have changed, and we’re coming off a season with many injuries, as well as the Saalbach World Championships. So, we had to maintain a certain margin of safety. We’ve already discussed potential improvements with the FIS, and there is room for adjustments.

Both men and women will be competing in Crans-Montana for World Cup races next year. How will this be managed in 2026?

The dates have already been set—between late January and early February, the weekend before the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. Both men’s and women’s races will take place on the same weekend, further elevating the event with two separate courses. The specific disciplines are still to be confirmed or discussed with the FIS, but the goal is to establish a logistical and organizational setup similar to a mini World Championships configuration.