Next stop Olympic Games after Team Combined dazzles on World Championship debut

The footage of Alexis Monney (SUI/Stöckli) watching from the finish area as Tanguy Nef (SUI/Atomic) completed his Slalom run perhaps best summed up the impact the Team Combined made on skiers and fans alike at the recent 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach.

The drama, the nerves, and finally the eruption of unrestrained joy is writ large across Monney’s features, as he realizes what has happened and vaults the safety barriers to go celebrate with his friend and teammate.

And that was for winning silver…

To be fair, that was a scene replicated throughout the two days of men’s and women’s Team Combined racing, and it did not seem to matter in the moment whether the teams were truly in the hunt for glory or not.

From Jacqueline Wiles (USA/Rossignol) jumping on partner Katie Hensien’s (USA/Rossignol) lap after she had sent them into the leaders’ chair early on during the women’s event, to Bryce Bennet (USA/Fischer) pleading with his teammate Jett Seymour (USA/Fischer) to “save him” in the Slalom after the tall American had been below par in the Downhill, the world’s best skiers were routinely caught up in the fervor of skiing for one another.

That sense of passion translated seamlessly onto Saalbach’s masses, who appeared almost more animated by the team action than any other. As noted by Switzerland’s Camille Rast (Head).

“The Austrian fans are really on fire,” said the skier who finished seventh, alongside Corinne Suter (SUI/Head). “It’s fun when the fans are so happy.”

‘It makes sense for everyone to watch’

It was the combination of the very best speed specialists teaming up with the top tech experts that caught the imagination.

Check out the reaction of Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI/Head). Racing in her ninth world championships, the Swiss skier had already won eight medals going into the new Team Combined and admitted she did not think number nine was on its way after she could only post the 12^th quickest time in the Downhill. But that was simply a challenge for one of the all-time great Slalom skiers, Wendy Holdener (SUI/Head). She duly laid down the fastest time of the afternoon and together the superstar duo snatched silver.

“It was fun to race with her, it’s a different format, it makes (it) fun for the athletes,” a beaming Gut-Behrami said, alongside Holdener in the finish area. “And it makes sense for everyone to watch.”

‘Such a unique event’

Clocking the emotions and reactions of skiers tracking their teammates down the slope was undoubtedly one of the highlights of this new format. Even if it was hard work for the athletes themselves.

“I love this event, no matter how stressful it was to have no control,” Lauren Macuga (USA/Rossignol) said after her partner Paula Moltzan (USA/Rossignol) had narrowly failed to convert a Downhill lead into a medal.

“It's still so fun to see the best downhill and slalom skiers in the same day. Such a unique event,” Macuga added, her and Moltzan ending fourth.

That sense of the team meaning more than the individuals was evident throughout.

“It really brought some new life to the whole team experience,” the USA’s Seymour said. “Obviously, we know the speed guys very well, but to be able to compete with them and be able to see that Bryce was nervous and really cared and that I was also nervous in the start. And then to be able to go out and do the best that we can as a team, is something cool and very unique.”

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) could not agree more.

“In this event you can be in your little bubble with your teammate and say, hey this for the goddam love of the sport,” said the woman’s champion, who triumphed alongside childhood friend Breezy Johnson (USA/Atomic) despite still being in the recovery process from injury.

“I wanted to do well more for her than for me and that was such a fun, interesting place to be. After everything that has happened these last two months, I couldn’t imagine a better world championships experience.”

‘A great, great start’

The positioning of the events also drew praise from skiers.

“I think it should stay, it’s definitely different and it’s the perfect transition in a way from speed to the technical week, for all the fans and also for us as a team,” said Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) who picked up men’s gold alongside Franjo von Allmen (SUI/Head).

Speed skier Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR/Atomic) was firmly onboard too.

Appetites duly whetted, next stop for the teams is the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. If the experience in Saalbach is anything to go by, it should be a cracker.

“It was a great, great start for the Team Combined,” as Gut-Behrami said.