Swiss Ski has officially announced its national team selections for the highly anticipated 2026/27 alpine skiing campaign, a season poised to culminate with the prestigious FIS Alpine World Ski Championships on home soil in Crans Montana in February 2027. The formidable roster, comprising a total of 52 men and 52 women across various tiers, underscores a nation not just preparing to host, but fully intending to assert its supremacy on the global stage. Headlining the men’s squad are perennial overall globe winner Marco Odermatt, fresh from securing his fifth consecutive men’s Overall title and a triple medal haul at the recent Bormio Olympics, alongside newly crowned Olympic champions Franjo von Allmen and Loic Meillard. The women’s team boasts an equally impressive lineup, featuring 2025/26 World Cup winners Malorie Blanc, Camille Rast, and the returning speed queen Corinne Suter.
The comprehensive selection process was meticulously overseen by Hans Flatscher, Director of Alpine Skiing, in close collaboration with the head coaches: Beat Tschuor for the women’s contingent and Thomas Stauffer for the men’s team. Their collective vision for the upcoming season is clear: leverage the deep talent pool, integrate promising young athletes, and prepare an optimal squad for the ultimate test in Crans Montana.
A Men’s Team Forged in Dominance
The men’s National team selections for 2026/27 represent a blend of established titans and burgeoning talents, reflecting the depth that has characterized Swiss men’s skiing in recent years. The core group includes:
- Luca Aerni
- Gino Caviezel
- Loic Meillard
- Alexis Monney
- Tanguy Nef
- Marco Odermatt
- Stefan Rogentin
- Thomas Tumler
- Franjo von Allmen
The consistency and quality of the Swiss men’s team are undeniable. The recently concluded 2025/26 season was a testament to their unparalleled strength, with Swiss athletes securing an astonishing 36 podium finishes across just 33 men’s World Cup races. This exceptional performance rate highlights a collective mastery across disciplines, from the blistering speed events to the technical precision of giant slalom and slalom.
Marco Odermatt, already a legend in the making, continued his record-breaking trajectory by clinching his fifth consecutive men’s Overall World Cup title. His season was further adorned with three medals at the Bormio Olympic Games, solidifying his status as the sport’s preeminent figure. Franjo von Allmen emerged as a revelation at the Bormio Olympics, stunning the alpine world by claiming three gold medals, a performance that instantly elevated him to the elite echelon of ski racing. Loic Meillard, building on his previous success as a World Slalom Champion, added an Olympic Slalom gold to his impressive resume, demonstrating his ability to perform under the highest pressure. The consistent breakthroughs of younger athletes like Alexis Monney and Tanguy Nef in recent seasons further underscore the robust pipeline of talent within Swiss Ski.
The Zenhaeusern Omission: A Strategic Shift
Perhaps the most significant talking point from the 2026/27 selections is the unexpected omission of two-meter-tall slalom specialist Ramon Zenhaeusern from the entire squad. The 34-year-old, a four-time World Cup winner and a prominent figure in the technical disciplines for over a decade, endured another challenging season in 2025/26, struggling to find the consistent form that once defined his career.
Hans Flatscher, Director of Alpine Skiing, addressed the decision, stating, "These are always the most difficult decisions to make, especially when it involves an athlete of Ramon’s caliber and contribution to Swiss Ski. However, our selection criteria are based on current performance, future potential, and strategic alignment with our goals for the upcoming season and, critically, the home World Championships in Crans Montana. While Ramon has been a fantastic ambassador for Swiss skiing, the results of the past season did not meet the required benchmarks for national team inclusion."
This omission signals a potential crossroads for Zenhaeusern. It could hint at an imminent retirement for the veteran racer, or it may force him to consider the challenging path of self-funding his professional career, a demanding undertaking for any athlete without the robust support of a national federation. The decision reflects Swiss Ski’s forward-looking approach, prioritizing athletes demonstrating current ascendancy and long-term viability, particularly with the Crans Montana spectacle looming.
Evolution and Reinforcement: Men’s Team Movements
The 2026/27 men’s A-Team sees strategic promotions and the return of seasoned veterans, indicating a dynamic approach to team composition. Matthias Iten and Alessio Miggiano are among the promising talents who have earned their promotion to the A-Team after impressive breakthrough campaigns in 2025/26, signaling a fresh injection of energy and ambition. Their ascent highlights Swiss Ski’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent and providing pathways to the highest level.
Adding invaluable experience back into the fold are World Cup veterans Justin Murisier and Daniel Yule, who return to the A-Team. Both athletes have been mainstays on the National team for over a decade, bringing a wealth of knowledge, consistency, and competitive spirit. Their reintegration is expected to provide crucial stability and mentorship within the squad. Conversely, speed specialist Arnaud Boisset, who spent the injury-hit 2025/26 season on the National team, will move to the B-Team for the upcoming season, reflecting the intense competition for spots and the federation’s adaptive approach to athlete management.
The Europa Cup: A Strong Foundation for the Future
The sustained strength of Swiss skiing is not solely concentrated at the World Cup level but is deeply rooted in the success of its developmental programs, particularly the Europa Cup circuit. The 2025/26 Europa Cup season showcased an exceptional crop of young Swiss talent, reaffirming the nation’s robust pipeline.
Lenz Haechler was a standout performer, capturing both the men’s Overall and Downhill titles, demonstrating his versatility and dominance. In Giant Slalom, Sandro Zurbruegg and Fadri Janutin engaged in a thrilling season-long battle for the discipline title, ultimately securing the top two spots. The downhill discipline further highlighted Swiss strength, with Sandro Manser, Gael Zulauf, and Lenz Haechler comprising three of the top four athletes in the final standings. This remarkable performance across multiple disciplines on the Europa Cup circuit is a clear indicator of the continued depth of talent within the B-Team and among younger athletes. It assures Swiss Ski that the nation will maintain a strong presence at the pinnacle of the sport for years to come, with a fresh wave of competitive athletes ready to step up.
Women’s Team: Building Momentum Towards Crans Montana
The women’s National team selections for 2026/27 feature a compelling mix of established stars and athletes poised for further breakthroughs. The headline names include:
- Malorie Blanc
- Lara Gut-Behrami
- Wendy Holdener
- Melanie Meillard
- Camille Rast
- Corinne Suter
A particularly noteworthy inclusion is that of Lara Gut-Behrami. The 35-year-old veteran, a multi-time World Cup champion and Olympic medalist, suffered a significant injury while training in Colorado last November, severely limiting her 2025/26 season to just one World Cup race. Her inclusion in the 2026/27 squad points towards a potential and highly anticipated comeback. Gut-Behrami’s return would be a tremendous boost to the team’s morale and competitive edge, bringing unparalleled experience and a winning mentality, especially vital in the lead-up to a home World Championships.
The 2025/26 season for the women’s team was characterized as a period of building and positive signs of growth. Malorie Blanc secured her maiden World Cup victory in January, a significant milestone for the rising star. Camille Rast demonstrated her versatility and potential by winning in both technical disciplines over a single weekend in Kranjska Gora. Corinne Suter, after navigating a challenging period following the Bormio Olympics, returned to top form towards the latter part of the season, clinching a victory in Soldeu and adding three further podium finishes.
While these individual successes were encouraging, the overall statistical output for the women’s team lagged behind their male counterparts. With only four wins and a "mere" 17 podiums across 37 women’s World Cup races, there is a clear acknowledgment of the potential for improvement. Beat Tschuor, the women’s head coach, emphasized this perspective: "The 2025/26 season showed promising individual performances and a clear trajectory of growth for many of our athletes. While the numbers don’t yet match the incredible consistency of the men’s team, the signs are unequivocally positive. Our focus for 2026/27 will be on translating this individual potential into more consistent collective results and increasing our podium count significantly, especially as we build towards Crans Montana."
Strategic Adjustments: Women’s Team Movements
The women’s A-Team also sees strategic adjustments aimed at optimizing performance for the upcoming season. Jasmine Flury, the 2023 World Downhill champion, is the sole woman from last season’s National team to be excluded from the 2026/27 selections. This decision, like Zenhaeusern’s, underscores the demanding performance benchmarks set by Swiss Ski.
In a positive development, three athletes have earned promotions from the B-Team to the A-Team: Vanessa Kasper, Sue Piller, and Janine Schmitt. All three demonstrated significant progress in the 2025/26 season, each securing their first World Cup top-ten results. Their promotion highlights the successful development pathways within the Swiss system and provides a fresh wave of talent eager to make an impact.
Conversely, former A-Team members Nicole Good and Priska Ming-Nufer have been completely left out of the selections by Swiss Ski, indicating a clear shift in focus and a commitment to nurturing athletes who are currently demonstrating the strongest upward trajectory.
Europa Cup: Nurturing Future Female Talent
The women’s Europa Cup team mirrored the success of their male counterparts, showcasing a strong contingent of emerging talent. Stefanie Grob secured the Downhill champion title, demonstrating her prowess in the speed discipline. Dania Allenbach proved her strength in the technical events by becoming the Giant Slalom champion. Janine Maechler rounded out the impressive performances with a third-place finish in the slalom standings. Crucially, these strong Europa Cup results have directly translated into World Cup start spots for these three athletes in their respective disciplines for the 2026/27 season, providing them with invaluable opportunities to compete at the highest level and further develop their skills.
Acknowledging Key Retirements
The conclusion of the 2025/26 season also marked the retirement of three significant figures from Swiss Ski. Speedsters Niels Hintermann and Joana Haehlen, both consistent performers in the downhill and super-G disciplines, called time on their careers. They were joined by slalom specialist Marc Rochat. These three athletes were valuable assets to the team, known for their consistency, professionalism, and significant contributions over many seasons. Their absence will undoubtedly create a void, but also opens avenues for the next generation of Swiss racers to step into prominent roles.
The Road to Crans Montana: Pressure, Pride, and Performance
As the 2026/27 season approaches, the overarching narrative for Swiss Ski is undeniably the home World Championships in Crans Montana in February 2027. This event carries immense national pride and, inevitably, significant pressure to deliver a dominant performance. Swiss Ski, under the leadership of Hans Flatscher, is acutely aware of these expectations.
"Hosting the World Championships in Crans Montana is a monumental occasion for Swiss skiing and for the entire nation," Flatscher remarked. "The pressure to perform on home snow is immense, but this team has consistently demonstrated its ability to thrive under such circumstances for several years now. We have meticulously selected a squad that embodies both experience and youthful dynamism, a team that we believe is capable of not just competing, but dominating."
The depth of talent, the recent Olympic successes, and the consistent World Cup podiums have set a very high bar. With high expectations and medals almost guaranteed by the sheer talent within the squad, the pertinent question for Swiss Ski seems to be: Can they surpass their already impressive achievements of the previous season? The 2026/27 campaign will be a relentless pursuit of excellence, culminating in a defining moment for Swiss alpine skiing on its home slopes. The world will be watching as Switzerland aims to write another glorious chapter in its rich skiing history.
