The International Ski Federation (FIS) has awarded the 2028 Junior World Championships in Alpine skiing to Verbier.
This means that just one year after the elite championships (Crans-Montana 2027), the world's best young athletes will also gather in the canton of Valais for their championships. Verbier is a well-established venue – in alpine skiing, it has hosted events such as the European Cup and the Swiss Championships. In 2028, the destination will host the Junior World Championships for the first time – ten years after Davos 2018, where Marco Odermatt, a five-time Junior World Champion (downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined, and team), shone.
"We are delighted to have been awarded the event and thank the FIS and Swiss-Ski for their confidence," says Eloi Rossier, President of the Bid Committee and former member of the Swiss-Ski Executive Committee. “We are organizing this event primarily for the athletes and because developing young talent has long been a priority for us. But we are also committed to further strengthening the reputation of Verbier, the Canton of Valais, and Switzerland in the skiing world.”
Hans Flatscher, Director of Alpine Skiing at Swiss-Ski, says: “We are extremely pleased that in just under two years, our best young athletes will also have the opportunity to experience home World Championships. We are very grateful to the entire team in Verbier for their dedication. They have repeatedly demonstrated their competence and possess a wealth of experience. We are therefore firmly convinced that this event will be a success, both organizationally and in terms of the sporting achievements.