Loïc Meillard to Miss Some World Cup Events for His First Christmas with His Daughter

29-year-old Swiss alpine skier Loïc Meillard became a father at the end of May, and this has noticeably changed his plans. In the new season, the athlete intends to skip some World Cup events so that he can spend more time with his family. “The emotions we experience in sport are something special,” Meillard said in an interview with SRF on Sunday evening. “But when you become a father, it is something more; it is incredible!”

The new role will have a major bearing on his career. In recent years, Meillard started the winter competing in two disciplines: he raced in the technical events and also took part in super-G. Now he has decided to change his usual schedule and will not compete in the speed events at least until the end of the year.

The reason is not only the packed schedule, which leaves almost no time for rest. Above all, the Swiss wants to spend more time with his daughter despite the busy race calendar, and not miss the first Christmas with his expanded family.

“We have night slalom in Madonna on 23 December, and then you return home on the 24th for Christmas,” Meillard explained. “And immediately afterwards I would have had to return to Bormio, and that is already on 25 December.” He does not want to leave his family again so quickly. If everything used to revolve around him, after the birth of his daughter Loïc decided that it would be great to spend three or four days at home over Christmas and share the best moments together.

As a result of his new approach, Meillard will most likely miss the super-G races in Copper Mountain (28 November), Beaver Creek (5 December), Val Gardena (18 December) and Bormio (29 December). His speed season may begin only at the home race in Wengen on 15 January.

At the same time, it will not be possible to avoid separation from his daughter entirely at the start of the season. Two giant slalom races will take place in Copper Mountain (29 November) and Beaver Creek (6 December), and the Swiss plans to compete in both.

Meillard’s main sporting goal this season is to win the World Cup in slalom or giant slalom. In addition to his Olympic medals, his trophy cabinet already contains a “small crystal globe”: in 2020, Loïc won the World Cup in parallel events, needing just two races to do so.

“In the end, it is only a ‘globe’; in 20 years, no one will even remember where it came from,” the athlete says with a smile. However, his desire to win the World Cup in the technical disciplines continues to motivate him to work hard.

Meillard ended last season with a full set of Olympic medals at the Games in Italy: he won gold in slalom, silver in the team combined and bronze in giant slalom. In the 2025/26 World Cup season, the Swiss reached the podium eight times and won two races — the giant slaloms in Val d’Isère and Schladming. At the World Cup finals in Lillehammer, he finished second in both slalom and giant slalom.

Photo: footage from SRF Sport; the Schladming World Cup event press office; Superski.ru. 18:22 19.10.26