Alessio Miggiano, GEPA pictures
One of Switzerland’s new speed talents, Alessio Miggiano, made the most of his first full World Cup season by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup Finals and earning a promotion to the Swiss Ski A-Team after three seasons on the Swiss B-Team.
The 2002-born downhill skier broke through during the 2025/26 season, establishing himself inside one of the deepest speed teams in the world and positioning himself in the battle for a spot at the 2027 World Championships on home snow in Crans-Montana.
At the speed finals in Kvitfjell in March, Miggiano spoke with Ski Racing Media about the season, his strengths and what lies ahead.
Miggiano’s 2026 season highlights
Miggiano earned a fixed spot for the 2026 World Cup downhill competitions after finishing second in the 2025 European Cup downhill standings. Additionally, he finished fifth in the 2025 European Cup overall standings.
The guaranteed World Cup downhill starting spot gave Miggiano a rare opportunity to prove himself alongside the world’s best during the 2025/26 season.
Miggiano took advantage of that opportunity with top-30 finishes in five of the regular season’s eight World Cup downhills.
In Val Gardena-Gröden in December, he delivered one of the season’s breakout performances by skiing into fifth place from bib 43, showing he could challenge established World Cup names on one of the sport’s classic speed tracks.
His result moved him into the top 30 on the World Cup Start List for the remainder of the season.
A few weeks later, he backed up the result with an eighth-place finish on home snow in Crans-Montana, the venue for the 2027 World Championships.
Still, Switzerland’s extraordinary depth in the men’s speed disciplines left Miggiano outside the Olympic lineup despite his strong season — a reminder of how difficult it is to secure championship starts within the Swiss system.
Miggiano also started in four World Cup super-G races last season, with a 21st-place finish in Val Gardena-Gröden as his best result.
Overall, Miggiano’s season was a success. He qualified for the World Cup Finals and finished 20th in the downhill season standings.
Heading into the 2026/27 season, he ranks 21st in downhill and 48th in super-G on the World Cup Start List while continuing his climb inside Switzerland’s highly competitive speed program.
Miggiano’s experiences with the Swiss national team
SRM: Can you summarize the season for our readers and how you made the jump to this new level after racing Europa Cup last year?
MIGGIANO: Most of the time I try to ski well. Of course, I’m really happy with how this first full World Cup season went. I knew that with my fixed place in a strong Swiss team I had to take this opportunity. I just try to take every race as a new challenge and take each day one by one. When the results are coming, it’s easier to ski well because you have confidence. So, I’m happy that I could take it all the way to the Finals.
For a young racer entering one of the strongest speed teams in the world, confidence and trust within the group can make a major difference. Miggiano said the environment inside the Swiss team helped ease the transition to the World Cup level.
SRM: Did you feel you learned a lot from being on the team with the top Swiss speed skiers?
MIGGIANO: Of course. I think we have a great team, not just in terms of skiing. Also, the guys — it’s a good spirit in the team, and this helps as a young lad coming in. Everyone is there for you when you need help or tries to help. That makes it a lot easier for the young guys.
Miggiano’s winning mindset
SRM: On your website, there is a quote which translates into English: “Winning is not seasonal; it’s a life philosophy.” Can you explain what that quote means to you?
MIGGIANO: That’s a quote I live by because in my experience I like to have this kind of competition everywhere in life, not just on the race slope. Whether it is in the summer when playing tennis with a good friend or something, it always means so much to me when I’m winning, so it’s something I bring into all parts of my life.
That competitive mentality has helped Miggiano adapt quickly to World Cup racing, where confidence and the ability to handle new situations are critical
Adapting to the World Cup level
SRM: What are your strengths, as a person and as a ski racer?
MIGGIANO: I think I can handle new situations well. I have a good feeling for the ski, and I think I have a healthy mindset about how my situation is or how my skiing is. I’m not afraid of critique. I just take everything I can get to grow and to learn, and I think this is one of my biggest strengths.
KVITFJELL, NORWAY,21.MAR.26 – Alessio Miggiano (SUI). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Wolfgang Grebien
Miggiano’s preseason plans
Despite the breakthrough season, Miggiano believes there is still significant room for improvement before next winter.
SRM: What will you focus on improving to take another step next season?
MIGGIANO: I think we can always get better in several aspects of this game. Physically, I can improve, but I also still have room to grow technically on skis. That’s definitely something I will work on during the summer heading into next season.
SRM: What are you looking forward to the most this summer?
MIGGIANO: I will enjoy a little bit of time off, but I will also be fired up to get back to work. And be back and spend some time with friends at the sea or doing some other things other than skiing. I’m really looking forward to that.
The Swiss speed challenge
Miggiano’s rise comes during a remarkable period for Swiss men’s speed skiing, where competition for World Cup and championship starts is among the toughest in the sport.
The Swiss have great depth of talent, with dominant men’s speed competitors Marco Odermatt, Franjo von Allmen, Alexis Monney and Stefan Rogentin filling four of the nine men’s national team spots awarded across all disciplines.
On April 24, Swiss Ski announced a 104-member squad for the 2026/27 season.
In addition to team selection, Swiss Ski divides its athletes into training groups by discipline and level. The training group selection does not entirely correspond to the athletes’ national, A-, B-, and C-team status.
Inside the Swiss speed structure
The top training group for men’s speed — Mastery World Cup Speed — consists of seven athletes:
Marco Kohler (1997, A-team), Alessio Miggiano (2002, A-team), Alexis Monney (2000, national team), Justin Murisier (1992, A-team), Lars Rösti (1998, A-team), Stefan Rogentin (1994, national team) and Franjo von Allmen (2001, national team).
As in past years, Marco Odermatt — winner of seven speed discipline globes over the last four seasons and four giant slalom globes from 2022-25 — remains in the Mastery World Cup GS group.
Managing that level of depth has become one of the biggest challenges for Swiss Ski’s coaching staff as the nation prepares for a home World Championships season.
Balancing depth and development
Coach Reto Nydegger, who heads the men’s Mastery World Cup Speed group, spoke with Ski Racing Media at the World Cup Finals about the challenge of maintaining Switzerland’s dominance.
Nydegger said that while the Swiss speed team is currently very strong, the group must continue pushing forward to prevent other nations from closing the gap.
He also emphasized that balancing the needs of established World Cup stars with younger developing racers requires careful planning across every level of the program.
He described how it is essential that the top racers get what they need at their level, in training and follow-up. At the same time, athletes in the European Cup and junior training groups need training facilities and follow-up that are right for them, to make sure each level receives the training and attention that secures continued success.
For the 2026/27 season, 19 men are listed across the Swiss Ski speed groups: Mastery World Cup (seven), Elite World Cup (five) and Elite European Cup (seven). In addition, athletes from other training groups, like Odermatt, will compete in World Cup speed events.
With the 2027 World Championships taking place on home snow in Crans-Montana, Miggiano now faces another challenge: earning one of the highly contested Swiss starting spots in front of a home crowd next February.
Related content: Inside Swiss Speed: Coach Reto Nydegger’s Winning Formula