They have been taking place since 1980, and this year they will be hosted for the last time: the World Cup races in Lake Louise, Canada, will be removed from the race calendar from 2023. This was confirmed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) according to Austrian media reports.
Canadians no longer interested
When the World Cup teams travel to Lake Louise this year at the end of November, it will be the last time. After more than 40 years, the downhill classic in Canada's only World Cup venue will disappear from the race calendar. The surprise among athletes, coaches and fans is huge.
The reason for the FIS decision is said to be the lack of interest on the part of the Canadians in continuing to host the event. On the one hand, this is based on financial aspects, on the other hand, there were probably internal disputes about closures due to the World Cup dates.
Whether other Canadian ski resorts will try to host a World Cup in the future is still unclear. However, the Canadian ski association "Alpine Canada" is already looking.
Programme for the last races in 2022
As in previous years, six more speed races are on the programme in Lake Louise this year. First up will be the men from 25-27 November 2022 for a downhill and two super-G races, then a week later it's the women's turn from 2-4 December 2022 with two downhills and a super-G. Here is the exact programme:
World Cup Men:
| 25 Nov 2022 Friday | Downhill Men |
|---|---|
| 26 Nov 2022 Saturday | Super-G Men |
| 27 Nov 2022 Sunday | Super-G Men |
World Cup Women:
| 02 Dec 2022 Friday | Downhill Women |
|---|---|
| 03 Dec 2022 Saturday | Downhill Women |
| 04 Dec 2022 Sunday | Super-G Women |
>> Full World Cup calendar for 2022/2023 (with download function)
No live broadcast because of the Football World Championships?
t is unknown whether and how extensively the Canadian races will be broadcast live and free of charge on television this year. The reason is the Football World Championships taking place in Qatar at the same time. The kick-off of the last day's game will take place at the same time as the ski races in Central European prime time. The public broadcasters in particular will have to make a decision and will only be able to show some of the ski races overseas in a live stream or in a short summary.
