Featured Image: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde kicking out of the start gate of the Zermatt-Cervinia downhill training day. Credit: GEPA pictures/ Mathias Mandl

The World Cup Zermatt-Cervinia downhill course is debuting this weekend on November 11th and 12th! After the 2022 false start, this winter will be the first time the men’s speed teams will gear up to accelerate down this race hill. The world is eager to see if Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde can remain at the top of the downhill leaderboard or if others will surpass his speed. This weekend will challenge these elite athletes as it will test their capabilities with a long, flatter-than-average, exposed course. 

The experimentation and the different aspects of this course from others on the World Cup circuit will make things interesting for the racers. Although Kilde ended the 2023 season on top, he will have tight competition. Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr knocked Kilde off the first-place position in downhill several times last season and is looking to fight for that first-place position this season. Marco Ordermatt (AUT), James Crawford (CAN) and others in the field will be strong competitors for the victory.

This course can be anyone’s win, as none of the athletes have raced it before, which is very exciting for all! Also, this downhill will make history by being the first to pass through the border of Zermatt, Switzerland, to Cervinia, Italy, on one of the largest ski resorts in the European Alps. After two canceled training runs, they are still hopeful that the course can start at the men’s start (3,720 meters/12,205 feet) but will adjust the start if weather conditions persist. The course was designed by 2010 Olympic champion Didier Défago of Switzerland and was approved last year by the International Federation, FIS.

Didier Défago explained his favorite aspect of the course in an interview with Matterhorn Cervino, “I think the first one for me is the Matterhorn Jump, followed by the Sérac Traverse. You have a few seconds where we are a bit slower and you get the feeling that you are in the race.” He believes it will be a nice, challenging race for the athletes.

The world is excited to see how the men take on this hill and will celebrate the opening of the 2024 downhill season.

Highest ranked eight DH men from the 2022-23 season racing in Zermatt/Cervinia

There are 11 North Americans on the November Zermatt/Cervinia DH start list

• Bib 15, James Crawford, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, HEAD, Level Gloves
• Bib 17, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Stifel USST, Mt Mansfield Ski Academy, Cochran’s Ski Club, HEAD
• Bib 18, Jared Goldberg, Stifel USST, Snowbird Sports Educational Foundation, Rossignol, LOOK
• Bib 20, Cameron Alexander, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Rossignol, LOOK, Level Gloves
• Bib 32, Sam Morse, Stifel USST, Carrabassett Valley Academy, Fischer,TOKO, Level Gloves
• Bib 33, Broderick Thompson, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, HEAD, Oakley, Level Gloves
• Bib 35, Bryce Bennett, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Fischer, Level Gloves
• Bib 36, Erik Arvidsson, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Middlebury College, HEAD
• Bib 55, Kyle Negomir, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, Atomic, Level Gloves
• Bib 57, Jeffrey Read, ACA, Banff Alpine Racers, Atomic, UVEX, Level Gloves
• Bib 63, Kyle Alexander, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Rossignol, LOOK, Level Gloves

How to watch

The men’s race starts at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time and 2:30 a.m. on the West Coast.

In the USA, the men’s World Cups in Zermatt/Cervinia will be available for viewing live and as a replay on the streaming service Ski & Snowboard Live.

In Canada, the World Cup can be viewed on CBC sports

Start list and race program for November 11th, Zermatt-Cervinia Men’s Downhill

Click on images to download the start list and program

Program for the for November 11th, Zermatt-Cervinia Men’s Downhill

Video of Zermatt-Cervinia Speed-Opener