Courchevel is currently building up its credentials as a host of competitive events and breeding ground for French champions, and has announced that it will stage its first World Cup competition for more than 30 years this December.

On 21st December the resort will be the setting for a slalom stage in the Women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup. Courchevel has high hopes for their own Taïna Barioz who will be 22 and therefore wasn’t born the last time the World Cup came to Courchevel.

Taïna was ranked 13th in the 2009 Giant Slalom World Cup thanks in particular to a 4th and 5th place in giant slalom (Are and Cortina d’Ampezzo).

Courchevel launched a new ‘Club des Sports’ to encouraging sporting talent at the resort just over a decade ago and has more than 800 members at present including 220 young competitors from the age of six up, training in snow disciplines right across the boarding including Alpine skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, cross country, freestyle, freeride, and snowboard. It is one of the few clubs in France to cover almost all ski disciplines.

The Courchevel ‘Club des Sports’ has a budget of €2 million and slalom stadiums at Courchevel 1550, 1650 and 1850 to train in as well as jumping hills, Olympic standard cross country ski runs and big air bag for freestyle. The Club has 11 members in the French national team.