Val di Fiemme will not be the emergency host of the 2027 Nordic World Ski Championships. Pietro De Godenz, president of the Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme organising committee, firmly ruled out on Saturday any move to stage the championships in place of Falun. "We categorically exclude our involvement in the organisation of the 2027 edition," De Godenz said in a statement that was also published by the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI).
The statement contradicts reports from earlier in the week. Those reports named the Trentino valley as a possible fallback in case Sweden refuses visas to Russian athletes and Falun's status as host is called into question.
A "misunderstanding" from a Milan press conference
According to the committee, the reports came from a misreading and a faulty translation by some foreign media. The source was a press conference in Milan where Val di Fiemme presented its winter events. De Godenz told Norwegian media that his comments there were about possible bids for the 2033 and 2035 World Championships, not about 2027.
NRK reported that the committee was disappointed by the spread of "a completely groundless matter" caused by a misinterpretation of its statements. De Godenz also said Val di Fiemme had received no request to host in 2027, either official or informal. FISI said the speculation was partly driven by an FIS official who had mentioned the valley as a hypothetical alternative. The Italian outlet Fondo Italia named that official as FIS communications chief Bruno Sassi.
Full calendar and the 2028 Youth Olympics
The committee pointed to economic, organisational and logistical limits. Hotels in the valley are already heavily booked by winter tourists, and the race calendar is crowded. According to Neveitalia, Val di Fiemme hosts a Nordic Combined World Cup, a Ski Jumping Continental Cup and the Tour de Ski finale this winter. It is also a co-host of the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Cross-CountryVisa wall before Ruka: Finland moves to shut out Russian skiersFacilities are not the issue. The venues in Predazzo and Lago di Tesero were upgraded for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, and the valley has hosted major championships before, most recently the 2013 Nordic Worlds.
The Falun question remains open
The denial is awkward for FIS because it leaves the dispute with Sweden where it was. Swedish authorities have signalled that they may not grant visas to Russian athletes, even though FIS has readmitted Russians and Belarusians as neutral competitors. Langrenn.com reported that Sassi accepted national laws apply in each country, but said FIS expects its member nations to respect its decision to admit neutral athletes.
With the Italians out, FIS has lost the most obvious alternative venue for now. Val di Fiemme has its own plans: Fondo Italia reports that the committee wants to pursue a bid for the 2033 World Championships and will soon start talks with local authorities.
