Youth Cup: Kandersteg highlights rising stars in Nordic Combined

The FIS Youth Cup Nordic Combined continued to demonstrate its growing importance, also in the 2025/26 season.

Growing participation numbers showed clear evidence that interest among young athletes is on the rise. Open to athletes born between 2008 and 2013, the Youth Cup was once again a key development platform for the future elite.

The season began in Oberstdorf (GER) in August, where the first FIS Youth Cup competitions were held alongside the Summer Grand Prix. The second stage followed in Kandersteg (SUI) on 7 and 8 February 2026, after the originally scheduled events in Harrachov (CZE) had to be postponed.

Participation numbers in Kandersteg once again confirmed the positive trend. A total of 101 boys from 13 nations and 34 girls from 7 nations competed across the Youth Cup categories, highlighting the steady growth of the women’s field.
The programme in Switzerland included two Individual Gundersen competitions for all age groups and genders.

FIS Youth Cup - Day 1

The first competition day took place on Saturday, 7 February, on the HS74 hill. While the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina had just opened, the young Nordic Combined athletes were already delivering strong performances in Switzerland.

Girls I

In the Youth Cup 1 girls’ competition, Mara Haefner (GER) took the lead after ski jumping with an outstanding jump of 73.5 metres and 129.1 points. She entered the 4 km cross-country race with a 57-second advantage over her teammate Michele-Sophie Eller (GER), who had jumped 67 metres and scored 103.9 points. Haefner maintained her lead throughout the race and secured a clear start-to-finish victory. Charlotte Starke (GER), who had been sixth after jumping, moved up to second place, finishing 1:13.9 minutes behind the winner. Eller completed a German podium sweep in third place, 1:51.4 minutes behind Haefner.

Boys I

In the Youth Cup 1 boys’ event, Maximilian Ferner (AUT) led after ski jumping with 70.5 metres and 118.4 points. Eric Foerschler (GER) followed in second place with 68.5 metres and 114.6 points, 11 seconds behind, while Gabriel Barkats Brandina (FRA) was third with 68 metres, 17 seconds back. In the 4 km cross-country race, Foerschler produced the fastest time of 11:57.5 minutes and secured the first Youth Cup victory of his career. Ferner finished second, 10.1 seconds behind, while Henri Salumae (EST), who had been sixth after jumping, fought his way onto the podium in third place, 31.8 seconds behind, achieving his first Youth Cup podium.

Girls II

In the Youth Cup 2 girls’ competition, Anna Brandner (AUT) led after ski jumping with 66 metres and 102.6 points, starting the 4 km race 17 seconds ahead of Pia Loh (GER), who jumped 64.5 metres for 97 points.
Svea Lobsiger (SUI), with 63.5 metres, started 20 seconds behind the leader. Once again, overall Youth Cup leader Giulia Belz (SUI), who had already won both competitions in Oberstdorf, showed her strength in cross-country skiing.
Starting from sixth place after jumping, she delivered a strong race to take the victory, finishing 19.7 seconds ahead of Finja Eichel (GER), who claimed her first Youth Cup podium. Brandner completed the podium in third place, 22.7 seconds behind Belz.

Boys II

In the Youth Cup 2 boys’ competition, Simon Pagnier (FRA) led after ski jumping with 69.5 metres and 118 points. Fred Gustavson (EST) followed closely in second place with 70.5 metres and 116.4 points, only six seconds behind. Lars Lobsiger (SUI) was third with 69 metres and 114.3 points, 15 seconds back.
With 13 athletes starting the 6 km cross-country race within one minute, a close contest was expected. Pagnier and Gustavson stayed together for most of the race, but in the final stretch Gustavson managed to create a gap and secured victory by 6.8 seconds, claiming his second Youth Cup win.
Noe Kempf (SUI), who had been eighth after jumping, completed the podium in third place with the fastest skiing time.

FIS Youth Cup - Day 2

The second competition day on Sunday, 8 February, featured another round of Individual Gundersen competitions and also decided the overall winners of the FIS Youth Cup 2025/26 season.

Girls I

In the Youth Cup 1 girls’ event, Mara Haefner (GER) once again led after ski jumping with 69.5 metres and 118 points, starting 15 seconds ahead of Michele-Sophie Eller (GER).
With only 2 km to race, there was little opportunity to close the gap, and Haefner secured another start-to-finish victory. Eller finished second, 23.6 seconds behind, while Magdalena Hacker (GER) completed another German podium sweep in third place, 1:05 minute behind.

Boys I

In the Youth Cup 1 boys’ competition, Maximilian Ferner (AUT) once again produced the best jump with 71 metres and 120.6 points.
He started the 2 km cross-country race 17 seconds ahead of Gabriel Brandina (FRA), with Maks Grasic (SLO) in third place, 22 seconds behind.
The shorter distance made it difficult to close the gaps, and Ferner secured the first Youth Cup victory of his career, finishing 15.2 seconds ahead of Brandina. Eric Foerschler (GER) completed the podium in third place, 31.5 seconds behind.

Girls II

In the Youth Cup 2 girls’ event, Anna Brandner (AUT) once again showed the strongest jump with 67 metres and 108 points.
She started the 2 km race 32 seconds ahead of Marit Lehmann (GER), with Svea Lobsiger (SUI) in third place. Brandner held on to her lead and secured her first victory of the season, finishing ahead of Giulia Belz (SUI), who once again delivered a strong cross-country performance but had to settle for second place, 16.7 seconds behind.
Lobsiger completed the podium in third place, 25.4 seconds behind, reaching her first Youth Cup podium.

Boys II

In the Youth Cup 2 boys’ competition, Simon Pagnier (FRA) once again led after ski jumping with 70.5 metres and 119.9 points.
Fred Gustavson (EST) followed just six seconds behind, while Simon Grossegger (AUT) matched Gustavson’s distance and points, meaning both started the cross-country race together.
As on the previous day, Gustavson and Pagnier stayed together for most of the race. This time, Gustavson secured victory by just 0.6 seconds in a close finish, while Pagnier took second place. Felix Muehlthaler (AUT) completed the podium in third place, 24.5 seconds behind.

Overall winners crowned

The overall standings of the FIS Youth Cup 2025/26 season reflected consistency and strong performances across all events. Mara Haefner (GER) dominated the Youth Cup 1 girls’ category with four victories out of four competitions.

In the Youth Cup 1 boys’ category, Eric Foerschler (GER) secured the overall title with two second places, one victory and one third place.

Giulia Belz (SUI) won the Youth Cup 2 girls’ category with three victories and one second place, while Fred Gustavson (EST) claimed the Youth Cup 2 boys’ title with three victories out of four events.

The competitions in Kandersteg, which marked the final stage of the season.
With the 2025/26 FIS Youth Cup season now concluded, young athletes from across the world delivered exciting performances at a high level, underlining the strength of the next generation.