An important Alpine skiing venue

St Moritz hosted the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships five times in all between 1934 and 2017, and is a stop on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit, hosting a major race weekend on the women’s calendar.

In 1948, the resort was the venue for Alpine skiing’s second Olympic appearance. The sport has remained on the programme ever since. It debuted at Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, although the only events held on that occasion were the men’s and women’s combined, each made up of a downhill and a slalom leg. By the time St Moritz 1948 came around, separate men’s and women’s downhill and slalom races had been added to the programme, with six gold medals up for grabs in all.

The races were all held on existing runs on Corviglia/Piz Nair. Now known as St Moritz-Corviglia and situated 10 kilometres northwest of St Moritz, its slopes offer skiers and snowboarders 155 kilometres of runs, among them the Olympic run, which lies at the foot of the village. Serving them are a total of 23 lifts.

France’s Henri Oreiller won two of the races, while Hedy Schlunegger collected one of Switzerland’s two gold medals, in the inaugural women’s Olympic downhill. Fifty-six years later, her granddaughter Martina Schild took silver in the same event at Turin 2006.

The Olympic Alpine skiing programme has expanded since 1948 and now comprises six events in all. From St Moritz 1948 through to Lake Placid 1980, the Olympic Winter Games served as the Alpine Ski World Championships, with Olympic medallists receiving a medal of the same colour from the International Ski Federation (FIS).