Linn Kazmaier seals third VI Crystal Globe at Jakuszyce World Cup finale

Just one Crystal Globe was left to be decided on the final day of the FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup, at Szklarska Poręba-Jakuszyce (POL) on Sunday February 1.

It was in the women’s Vision Impaired (VI) category with Linn Kazmaier (GER; guide Florian Baumann) holding a lead of 18 points over fellow teenager Simona Bubenickova (CZE; guide David Srutek). With just four starters in the 10km Mass Start Classic, second place for Kazmaier would see her collect third overall title in four years, even if 17-year-old Bubenickova won.

Sure enough, the Czech claimed a sixth victory from six starts this season, but her missing the Mass Start in Finsterau (GER) last month meant Kazmaier, over five minutes down in second and without a win during the campaign, did enough in her seven starts to win the series by just three points. Neither woman raced in the season-opening stop in Canmore (CAN) where Leonie Walter (GER) won all three races, but she missed Jakuszyce and was overhauled ahead of Sunday’s season finale.

Two minutes further back was Aneta Korbyn (POL; guide Bartlomiej Puto) who was third for the second day running, her first two career World Cup podium finishes. Bubenickova had been dominant in Saturday’s 10km Interval Start Classic, beating Kazmaier by more than six minutes with Korbyn nearly a minute behind the 19-year-old German.

Kazmaier was delighted to claim the overall title having overcome adversity in recent times. "Last year was really difficult with family issues and the stress of balancing school with training," she admits. "I also suffered more illness than I’m used to, so I’m very happy I could win the overall globe. I didn’t expect to, but I realized when I came to Jakuszyce that maybe I could win it.

"For me, it shows I’m going in the right direction. My shape is still not where I want it to be, because I haven’t managed to get really close to winning this season. But I’m still really happy and I just have to continue on this path."

Zebastian Modin (SWE; guide Emil Talsi) clinched his seventh men’s VI title on Saturday despite only finishing fifth in the Interval Start. Jake Adicoff (USA; guide Peter Wolter) cruised to victory by over a minute and a half clear from Dmytro Suiarko (UKR; guide Oleksandr Nikonovych). Finland’s Inkki Inola and guide Reetu Inkila were 20 seconds further back in third.

With the Crystal Globe already in the bag, Modin skipped Sunday’s Mass Start where Adicoff made it four wins from five starts in the season. The American took victory by a minute and 24 seconds from Inola with Thomas Oxaal (NOR; guide Geir Lervik) a minute and a half further back in third.

Rampant Romele surges to Sitting crown

Giuseppe Romele (ITA) took the 10km Sitting Interval Start on Saturday to clinch his second series title in three years. The 33-year-old tuned up for his home Winter Paralympics in perfect fashion as he back up his win in Thursday’s 6km Interval Start to take an unassailable lead into Sunday’s finale.

Romele was almost 90 seconds clear of Josh Sweeney (USA) with Taras Rad (UKR) a further eight seconds adrift. That saw the Italian extend his overall lead to 141 points with one race remaining. And he continued his dominance on Sunday, winning the 10km Mass Start by a minute and 13 seconds from Pavlo Bal (UKR). Sweeney finished 10 seconds ahead of Rad to secure his second podium of the weekend.

Having already secured her sixth Sitting title on Thursday, Oksana Masters (USA) claimed her fifth consecutive win in this year’s World Cup in Saturday’s Interval Start. She was pushed close, however, by teammate Kendall Gretsch who was just nine seconds down at the finish. Indira Liseth (NOR) was the only other starter and finisher. Sunday’s Mass Start was canceled due to a combination of the demands of the week and the series placings having already been decided.

Peterson and Marburger double up to make statements ahead of Paralympics

Vilde Nilsen (NOR) suffered a rare defeat on Saturday, having to settle for second behind Sydney Peterson (USA) in the Standing Interval Start. Peterson, who claimed her first World Cup win in Finsterau last month, was eight seconds clear of the Norwegian who had clinched her sixth overall title on Thursday. Liudmyla Lukashenko (UKR) was 30 seconds off the pace in third.

Nilsen and Lukashenko sat out Sunday’s Mass Start with Peterson easing to back-to-back victories. The 23-year-old has made the podium in each of her World Cup starts this season and, as was the case in Beijing four years ago, she, Nilsen and the absent Natalie Wilkie (CAN) look set to battle it out of the medals at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.

Kathrin Marchand (GER) was 50 seconds behind, equaling her second from Sprint Qualification in Finsterau (GER) last month, with Dani Aravich (USA) securing her first World Cup podium finish in third.

Sebastian Marburger (GER) was an emphatic winner of Saturday’s men’s Interval Start, taking victory by just under a minute from Witold Skupien (POL). Third place for Serafym Drahun was enough for the 20-year-old Ukrainian to clinch his first overall title despite not winning a race in the campaign.

Drahun skipped Sunday’s Mass Start finale, and Marburger dominated again. Having sat out the two midweek races in Jakuszyce, the 28-year-old German completed a weekend double in style with his winning margin over home favorite Skupien a minute and six seconds. That saw him take second place in the series standings. Another German, Maximillian Weidner, was well over a minute further back but managed to secure his first World Cup podium at the age of 36.

That concludes the 2025/26 FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup season. Attention now turns to the Winter Paralympics with Val di Fiemme hosting the action from March 10-15.