About the Author: Peter Gerber Plech

Belgian giant slalom standout Sam Maes will train with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team throughout the 2026-27 season following the dissolution of the Global Racing Ski Team.

Henrik Kristoffersen parts ways with VanDeer after Olympic success. Which ski brand will the Norwegian star choose next?

USA’s Paul Epstein shuts down the Global Racing Ski Team, a proven pathway that helped develop and return World Cup skiers.

Slalom world champion Camille Rast enters the Olympic season calm and confident. After her breakout winter, she now targets consistent Top-7 giant slalom results.

Lara Gut-Behrami begins her farewell season this weekend in Sölden. The 34-year-old Swiss icon, with 48 World Cup victories and two overall titles, remains focused and fearless. She also shares honest thoughts on how social media has reshaped authenticity in ski racing.

Marcel Hirscher’s long-awaited comeback will have to wait. The eight-time overall World Cup champion, now racing for the Netherlands, has withdrawn from Sunday’s Sölden opener due to illness after a strong recovery from last season’s knee injury.

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Less than two weeks before the World Cup opener in Sölden, Marco Odermatt traded his race suit for formal wear at a film premiere in Vienna. Now the Swiss superstar is shifting back into race mode, focused on defending his titles and beginning the Olympic season with confidence and composure.

Marc Rochat Photo: Peter Gerber Plech Marc Rochat hopes to compete in his first Olympics.

Swiss Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter reflects on her renewed confidence, new coach Stefan Abplanalp, and the motivation driving her into another Olympic season — fourteen years after her World Cup debut.

Italian speed specialist Matteo Franzoso remains in critical condition after crashing in training at La Parva, Chile. The 25-year-old suffered severe head trauma and was flown to a hospital in Santiago, according to FISI and reports from skinews.ch.

Roland Assinger will remain head coach of the Austrian women’s Alpine team through the 2025–26 Olympic season despite sharp criticism from several athletes, including recently retired world champion Stephanie Venier. Accused of poor communication and an intimidating leadership style, Assinger acknowledged the controversy, admitted he considered resigning, and vowed to improve trust and collaboration moving forward.

Stephanie Venier, the 31-year-old Tyrolean who won the 2025 super-G world title in Saalbach, has announced her retirement from ski racing. The Austrian speed specialist ends her career with 169 World Cup starts, 12 podiums split evenly between super-G and downhill, and three wins. Venier also raced in five World Championships, earning three medals, and competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

Marta Bassino and Salomon have ended their partnership after more than 20 years together. The Italian star, who won the 2021 giant slalom discipline globe and multiple World Championship titles with the brand, announced the split following a challenging season.

Kenyan Olympic skier Sabrina Simader has ended her career despite qualifying for the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina. A lack of financial support and broken promises from her national federation forced the 27-year-old World Cup athlete to retire, bringing a premature end to one of alpine skiing’s most inspiring journeys.

Austrian slalom skier Katharina Huber has signed with Völkl/Marker ahead of the 2025–26 season, becoming the fifth athlete to leave Fischer this spring. A consistent World Cup Finals qualifier, Huber continues to build on a strong slalom career that includes 10 top-10 finishes.

Petra Vlhová, Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiercest rival, is battling to return after a second knee surgery. With her future in ski racing uncertain, she shares the emotional toll of her recovery and the hope that still drives her.

A revised World Cup calendar proposal for the 2025–26 season adds a second men’s downhill in Beaver Creek and adjusts several speed events to address athlete concerns over discipline balance. If approved on June 12, the plan would bring the men’s schedule to nine races each in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom, with eleven slaloms.

Canadian-German skier Roni Remme has announced her retirement from World Cup skiing ahead of the 2026 Olympic season. After switching from Canada to Germany in 2022 and battling multiple injuries, the former Crans Montana podium finisher ends her career with gratitude and resolve.