Snow, speed and high stakes: Tignes delivers Downhill drama in penultimate World Cup stop

Skiers returned to France for the penultimate stop of the 2025/2026 FIS Para Alpine World Cup season, as the race for this term’s golden globes continued to ramp up.

What was initially set to be a three-race, four-day event turned into a two-race outing, as the final Super-G contests of the season were canceled due to snow conditions.

There was still thrilling action on the slopes, though, as skiers took on their last Downhill races, ahead of the upcoming Winter Paralympics next month.

AIGNER SECURES DOWNHILL GLOBE

Johannes Aigner (AUT), and guide Nico Haberl, clinched the Downhill globe in the men’s Vision Impaired with back-to-back first-place finishes in Tignes. It was his 13^th and 14^th gold of the current campaign, taking this season’s medal tally to 17.

“Yeah definitely [this globe is special],” he said at the finish line. “With this Downhill race, the slope was in very good condition. We feel good [ahead of the Paralympics].”

The podium remained unchanged for both races. Great Britain’s Neil Simpson (with guide Andrew Simpson) picked up consecutive silvers, extend his career-best medal haul to seven. France’s Hyacinthe Deleplace (with guide Gauthier de Tessières) came in third to clinch bronze in successive races.

REXOVA WINS GOLD, AIGNER TOPS STANDINGS

Slovakia’s Alexandra Rexová (guided by Sophia Polák) secured consecutive gold medals in Tignes, solidifying her second-place position in the women’s Vision Impaired standings for Downhill.

“I’m really happy about this run because I think it was the best of the four we did,” Rexová said on day two of racing.

Veronika Aigner (guided by sister Elisabeth) was competing alongside Rexová, but injury prevented the pair from finishing the first race and lining up for the second. Despite this, earlier podium finishes this season – three golds and one silver – meant the Austrian was able to hold onto the Downhill top spot.

FAMILY HISTORY FOR CUCHE

The men’s Standing results marked a bit of history for Robin Cuche (SUI), whose first-place finish in the first and second Downhill races took his World Cup win tally to 21. In doing so, he matched that of his uncle Didier, who is well-known for his own career in Alpine skiing.

“I equaled my uncle, but I will try to do better [than him] next season,” he joked, after securing the gold that sealed his globe in this event.

He fought off stiff competition from Arthur Bauchet (FRA) and Alexis Guimond (CAN), who finished second and third respectively, on both occasions.

ÅRSJÖ’S GOLDEN SWEEP

Sweden’s Ebba Årsjö has continued her fine form into the Downhill events at Tignes, picking up another two successive gold medals in the women’s Standing category. The 25-year-old has topped the podium in every single race she has contested since the second stop of the 2025/26 World Cup, her overall medal tally in this campaign now standing at eight – each of them gold.

“I’m super happy, I didn’t know what to expect today [first race], I haven’t been skiing downhill since 2023,” she said. “I’m super happy with the result.”

Despite her flawless run, it would be Aurélie Richard (FRA) who, after coming second in both races, would secure her spot atop the overall Downhill standings to secure the globe. An unchanged podium across both saw Audrey Crowley (USA) clinch third, collecting her first two medals of the season; it equals her career-best total tally from last term.

PEDERSEN SEALS GLOBE

Despite a mixed second half of the season, a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign was enough to guide Jesper Pedersen (NOR) to the Downhill globe in the men’s Sitting category. His first-place finish on day one of racing reaffirmed that, wining bronze on the second to secure his position at the top of the leaderboard.

“It’s just a really cool slope to ski,” he said. “Today was a little bumpy and the second jump was a little long, I landed a little wrong, but it was fun!”

Kurt Oatway (CAN) also had an impressive outing in Tignes, finishing second in race one before bettering that to win gold in race two. On the difference between the two runs, he said: “I was a couple of seconds faster today, the snow is faster which always helps.

“I asked my technician for a faster ski, and I just cleaned up my lines in places. Yesterday I [overdid] a few things, so I just cleaned it up and came out on top.”

In the first outing, Taiki Morii (JPN) completed the top three, while in the second it was Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) who won silver.

PASCUAL SECO AT THE DOUBLE

In the women’s Sitting category, Audrey Pascual Seco (ESP) added a 14^th and 15^th medal to her tally for the current campaign, both of them gold. It secured her place atop the Downhill standings, in her first season racing the event.

“This is my first season in Downhill, so the first time was very, very scary,” she said at the finish line of race one. “But I like speed, Super-G is my favorite discipline, and Downhill is starting to be… I’m very happy.”

At the end of race two, she added: “It is good to have confidence and [execute a good race]; the slope is perfect. I’m very proud and ready for Cortina.”

Barbara van Bergen (NED) was competing alongside the Spaniard but did not finish as a result of a fall in the first race and of missing a gate in the second.

NEXT STOP

The final stop of the 2025/26 FIS Para Alpine World Cup will be held in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. It will be the final chance for skiers to take on Slalom and Giant Slalom races before the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.