Courchevel In The Starting Gate

The alpine ski season begins this weekend in Sölden, Austria, with the two giant slaloms for women and men in the Alpine Skiing World Cup, on 22 and 23 October.

A new season that will be marked with a white stone for the world capital of skiing.

From 6 to 19 February, the international ski elite will meet in the 3 Valleys resort for the Courchevel Méribel 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. A unique and exceptional event that not all resorts are able to host. A reward for Courchevel, which has been involved in the World Cup ski circuit for more than 10 years, an opportunity to demonstrate its know-how and to unveil the new Eclipse piste, which has already proved its worth during the 2022 World Cup finals.

From 6 to 19 February 2023, Courchevel and Méribel will vibrate in unison with the dreams of the world's skiing elite. After Chamonix in 1937 and 1962 and Val d'Isère in 2009, the World Alpine Skiing Championships will be held in the heart of the French Alps and for the first time in the history of the event, the races will be held at two competition sites: the women's competitions as well as the parallel events will be held in Méribel on the Roc de Fer slope and the men will battle it out in Courchevel on the L'Éclipse slope. Finally, training and selection will take place on the Emile Allais stadium in Courchevel 1850.

The programme

Designed and built to host the men's speed events, the Eclipse is the flagship track of the 2023 World Championships. Skied in official competition for the first time at the 2022 Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals, the best downhillers discovered a demanding course and were surprised by its singularity, with alternating light and shade, big jumps and an increasing slope.

The run starts just a stone's throw from the Col de la Loze (2234m), on the ridge that separates Méribel and Courchevel. From its summit, skiers enjoy a panoramic view of the valley before launching themselves into the slope for a vertiginous descent of 3200m. After a first part in the open, they glide through a dense forest and in a subdued light to find the sun again at Courchevel Le Praz (1290m) where the finish is located.

Between shadow and light, the route gives pride of place to large jumps and big curves with already some key passages with evocative names: the jump of the zenith, the wall of sound, the S of the arolles, the jump of the jockeys, the black hole, the wall of the bux, the take-off. To finish in apotheosis with the wall of the braves and its jump before crossing the finish line under the cheers of the public gathered in Courchevel Le Praz.

• 960 m of difference in altitude
• 30% gradient
• 3.2 km
• 4 fan zones at the edge of the piste

Our champions on the track

In the French A, B or junior teams, many athletes trained at the Courchevel Sports Club will show the colours of the resort all over the world. In a season that will be marked by the World Championships at home, the Courchevel skiers are counting on shining in the World Cup to be selected for these worlds.

On the women's side, Marie Lamure, who was crowned Junior World Champion in the combined event last winter, Doriane Escané, Clarisse Brèche and Alizée Dahon will do their utmost to win their selection and take part in the festivities in the neighbouring resort.

On the men's side, behind Alexis Pinturault, Diego Orecchioni will make his World Cup debut this weekend in Sölden. Following the results of the beginning of the season Steven Amiez, Alban Elezi Cannaferina and Guerlain Favre could also dream of being selected for these World Cups on home soil.

Alexis Pinturault, never two without three...

An adage that must be running through Alexis Pinturault's head. Already the recipient of two world championship titles (in the combined event in 2019 and in the parallel team event in 2017), the child of Courchevel will be keen to shine in front of his public, on the slopes where he grew up. As a versatile skier, he has many chances to win the Grail!

• 3 Olympic medals
• 6 World Championship medals, including 2 world titles
• 34 World Cup victories
• Crystal Globe in the overall ranking in 2021
• 6 small Crystal Globe