Para Alpine stars look forward to new World Cup season

Some of the world’s top Para Alpine skiers have been in South America preparing for the 2025-26 World Cup season. While it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, there has been ample snow in the Chilean Andes and Ushuaia (ARG) for athletes to train ahead of a campaign that includes March’s Milano-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.

Having won seven consecutive overall Crystal Globes, Arthur Bauchet will be expected to continue his dominance of the men’s Sitting category. The French skier, who won three golds and a bronze at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, has been with his teammates - including rival Jordan Broisin - in Chile.

"This preparation is really important for us," said Bauchet. "We return to skiing in Chile for three years now, and this allows us to have a big ski camp to be ready to train on the glacier in Europe during autumn. We had a really great time. We were not in a hotel so we cooked meals ourselves and that’s good for the cohesion of the group.

"It’s not perfect in terms of facilities - the lifts are pretty old - but what’s important is that we can have some really good training. Going to Chile allows us to have true winter conditions, different from being on the glacier during summer. We can also do speed training which is great."

Women’s Sitting Super G World Cup holder Audrey Pascual Seco was in Ushuaia, whose claim to fame is being the southernmost city on the planet.

“I really enjoyed Ushuaia,” revealed Pascual. “It’s a unique place surrounded by nature with a great working atmosphere. The main advantage is being able to train in real winter conditions with consistent snow and demanding courses, which helps me arrive at the first competitions better prepared and more confident.”

The Spaniard finished second to Anna-Lena Forster in the overall World Cup last season, but did clinch her second discipline Crystal Globe. And a first Paralympic Games appearance is definitely in her thoughts.

“My goals are to consolidate my level in the World Cup and to be on the podium in every race,” Pascual said. “I want to have a solid season and achieve good results in World Cups to arrive with confidence at the Paralympic Games and, ultimately, to win a medal.”

Jeroen Kampschreur came through a titanic scrap with Jesper Pedersen to retain his overall Sitting World Cup crown. He and the Dutch team trained in Valle Nevado - 50km east of the Chilean capital Santiago - alongside athletes from Japan, New Zealand and Great Britain. As a result, “We could compare run times, have all the staff work together to ensure optimum safety and course setting, and also have fun socializing.”

The 26-year-old will be seeking to add to his tally of two Paralympic medals from two Games in Milano-Cortina. And he feels this summer prep can only help his season, despite it being physically challenging.

“We slept at an altitude of 3,000 meters, which is quite a shock for the body,” he said. “In the Alps and the Dolomites, most hotels are located lower so physical fitness is quite important at this venue.

“The preparation in the Southern Hemisphere is the best way for us to start training as early as possible, In August, it’s the end of the winter season in Chile. This means we have cold days, compact snow, and overall good conditions to get started again.”

One of the athletes training with Kampschreur was reigning Paralympic Downhill champion Corey Peters. The Kiwi greatly enjoyed his time in Valle Nevado, saying, “It was really beneficial, enabling me to get quality speed training which is really hard to come by in New Zealand.”

Despite winning Super Combined silver in Beijing, having taken gold four years previously, Kampschreur had a difficult Games. He suffered a couple of DNFs as well as the disappointment of finishing fifth on two occasions. Pedersen is likely to be his main rival once more, with the Norwegian winning four golds and one silver in Beijing.

“My goal this season is to show the best version of myself, especially at the Paralympic Games,” Kampschreur stated. “That’s no different to any other season, of course, but it’s simply harder with the Games in mind.

“Being able to withstand the pressure in March, and ski there as I’d approach any other race is a real skill. I hope I’m able to show that!”

For Peters, who also won Super G silver in Beijing, his priorities are clear. “My goals for the upcoming season are to do as many of the World Cup speed races as possible in preparation for the Paralympic Games. It's nice to see there's a lot more opportunity to race speed this upcoming season as last season this wasn't the case.

“My focus is definitely going to be the Downhill and Super-G in Cortina. If I can back up my achievements from Beijing that would be absolutely amazing. The competition continues to get stronger and the level rises every year so it's not going to be an easy feat. As long as I go out there and give it 100%, and be proud of my performance, that's all I can ask for.”

The 2025-26 Para Alpine Skiing World Cup starts in Steinach am Brenner (AUT) on December 10 with one Alpine Combined race followed by two Super-Gs, all on consecutive days.