2025/2026 Para Alpine Skiing World Cup season preview
Dec 08, 2025·Para Alpine
A blockbuster line-up of Para Alpine races is set to see athletes into the new year ahead of the highly anticipated Winter Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina.
Eight stops across Europe will see some of the best in the world descend on legendary slopes to fine-tune their form with the stakes higher than ever.
Each event across the season will contribute towards qualification for the upcoming Games, as we enter the home stretch.
2025/2025 PARA ALPINE CALENDAR
The first stop of the new campaign will be in Steinach, Austria. Held between 10-12 December, the venue offers a mix of technical slopes and high-speed runs that are a hit among participants. A long-time host of the World Cup, this well-maintained site is the perfect opener for what promises to be an enthralling season.
Next up marks a return to the iconic Italian slopes of Santa Caterina. It debuted in the World Cup last season in two thrilling days and will commence this term between 15-17 December. Renowned for its steep and demanding course, it provides a welcomed challenge for competitors.
St. Moritz, Switzerland, will be the final stop before the turn of the new year. A regular host, athletes will return between 19-21 to close out 2025 ahead of the festive break. Boasting world-class facilities and a history of welcoming many major international competitions, it is the perfect all-round venue to warm skiers up for the Games.
Welcoming skiers into 2026 will be a return to Austria, this time to the venue of Saalbach between 12-17 January. A consistent stop on the tour of the globe, it is a reliable host with a range of courses to test competitors as they begin to step up preparations ahead of March.
Between 22-23 January, athletes will compete in Feldberg, Germany. Much like Santa Caterina, this will be the second time the World Cup stops at this venue having delivered an electric debut in January. With a designated course for the World Cup, the steep slope brings spectators closer than ever to the action.
At the end of January, between 26-30, we will have the first of two consecutive stops in France. The first of which is Méribel, hosting a World Cup event for the very first time. In the heart of Southeastern France, the resort will bring together attendees on the ‘legendary’ Corbey racecourse as they continue preparations and qualification bids for MiCo. As February rolls in, athletes will head a short drive away to the second French stop, this time in Tignes between 2-6. Rich in history, this location has been the host for numerous stages of the World Cup and will no doubt provide reliable conditions once more.
The penultimate stop across Europe will see skiers come back to Switzerland for their final test, or final chance at clinching qualification, before the Paralympics. A well-established venue in Veysonnaz, 9-10 February will see a short stopover at this long-time host.
Then, a venue and an event that needs little introduction, Milano Cortina. Athletes who have successfully qualified will head to Italy for the Winter Paralympic Games, held between 4-15 March 2026.
SKIERS TO WATCH: WOMEN
Beginning with the VI races, Austria’s Veronika Aigner—guided down the slopes by her sister Elisabeth—is a force to be reckoned with. Last season she laid down the marker, sweeping all four globes in the overall, Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super-G. Her biggest rivals going into the World Cup are teammate Elina Stary, who has emerged as a top contender in the technical disciplines, and Slovakia’s Alexandra Rexova, who is a speed specialist.
Italian duo Martina Vozza, who has recently returned from injury, and Chiara Mazzel have both impressed in previous World Cups, putting down big results. With a home Games on the horizon, there may be added incentive for the two to really make their names known this season.
In women’s Standing, Sweden’s Ebba Årsjö has demonstrated her consistency across all disciplines in recent times by clinching the overall globe for the last two seasons. She is joined by Germany’s Anna-Maria Rieder, who took home the Slalom globe for the 24/25 campaign. Along with these two established skiers are two younger hopefuls looking to make their mark.
20-year-old Aurélie Richard has been on an upward trajectory since 2023, getting better with each year, looking to emulate her former French teammate Marie Bochet who is a multiple Paralympic and World Champion. Similarly, 21-year-old Claire Petit of the Netherlands is looking to make herself known this season, after earning several podium finishes in the Super-G last term.
Women’s Sitting includes World Cup royalty in Anna-Lena Forster. After winning the overall category for three consecutive seasons, the German comes into the 25/26 edition as the one to watch once more. There’s plenty of competitors looking to challenge her, including Spain’s rising star Audrey Pascual Seco as well as her Japanese long-time rival Momoka Muraoka who returned to the World Cup circuit last season after two years. Sitong Liu is also one to watch, spearheading a strong Chinese delegation this season.
SKIERS TO WATCH: MEN
We begin men’s VI with a familiar relation, as Austria’s Johannes Aigner—brother of the aforementioned Veronika and Elisabeth—looks to continue his fine form. A consistent performer, he clinched the overall globe in the last campaign to make him the one to beat. Looking to challenge his status at the top is Itay’s Giacomo Bertagnolli, who has proven to be a specialist in the technical events with several World Cup wins under his belt. Canada’s Kalle Ericsson is another skier who spectators should look out for in the technical events, making the podium on 10 occasions in 24/25. Michal Golas of Poland, fresh off his maiden World Cup win earlier this year, and France’s Hyacinthe Deleplace headline the ones to watch in the category.
Moving on to men’s Standing and the ever-present and ever-dominant Arthur Bauchet. The Frenchman swept all four globes last season, leading what is a strong French delegation including Jules Segers and Oscar Burnham. A certain Swiss international, Robin Cuche, is following in the footsteps of his uncle Didier Cuche as a speed specialist, while Sweden’s Aaron Lindström is a technical powerhouse on the slopes.
Finally, men’s Sitting offers a strong group of athletes who are aiming to prove a point in the run-up to the Winter Paralympics. The long-standing rivalry between Netherlands’ Jeroen Kampschreur and Norway’s Jesper Pedersen reached its peak last season, battling for the overall globe right until the final run. With just five points in it, Jeroen clinched it in the end. René De Silvestro can never be discounted, proving himself to show up for the big events on many occasions, while France’s Lou Braz-Dagand excels in Slalom. There is also set to be an exciting rivalry reignited in the speed events, with Canada’s Kurt Oatway facing renewed rivalry from the returning American, Andrew Kurka.
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