Masters and Romele make triumphant return at Canmore World Cup opener
Dec 08, 2025·Para Cross-Country
The FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup opened in Canmore, Canada, with 108 athletes from 18 nations competing in the first stage of the 2025/26 season. The program featured a 10km Interval Start (classic style), a Sprint, and a 10km Mass Start (classic style).
Masters and Romele back on top
Dual-season athletes Oksana Masters (USA) and Giuseppe Romele (ITA), who competed at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Para Cycling and Para Triathlon respectively, returned to the snow hungry for success. Masters missed the entire 2024/25 season due to injury, while Romele only raced twice in Val di Fiemme. In Canmore, Romele dominated the Men’s Sitting category, winning all three races. Behind him, a strong North American squad — Collin Cameron (CAN), Derek Zaplotinsky (CAN), and Aaron Pike (USA)—secured second and third places.
Cameron shared his emotions after finishing second in the opening race at home:
On the women’s side, Masters finished second behind Yunji Kim (KOR) in the 10km Interval Start, then claimed victory in both the Sprint and the 10km Mass Start. Her teammate Kendall Gretsch, last season’s Globe winner, twice completed the podium in distance races. Anja Wicker (GER) placed third in the Sprint, just one second ahead of Gretsch.
Untouchable Nilsen
Vilde Nilsen (NOR) continues to rewrite the record books. Since her World Cup debut in 2016 at age 15, she has missed the podium only twice in individual events. By the end of last season, she counted 42 podiums, including 37 wins. In Canmore, she added three more victories. Her main rivals remain Canadians and Ukrainians: Natalie Wilkie (CAN) finished second in all three races, while Liudmyla Liashenko (UKR) and Oleksandra Kononova (UKR) rounded out the podiums.
Just like the hard-fought sprint final at the World Championships in Trondheim, which saw Nilsen cross the finish line first, Wilkie is determined to stand up to the woman who dominates the Women's Standing category in the coming months, particularly in Val di Fiemme in March.
Germany, Canada, and Ukraine in Nations Cup fight
The Men’s Standing category saw two different podium trios across distance and Sprint races. Sebastian Marburger (GER) won both 10km races ahead of Karl Tabouret (FRA) and Mark Arendz (CAN). Ukrainians dominated the Sprint, with Serhii Romaniuk taking gold and Serafym Drahun bronze, behind Taiki Kawayoke (JPN), last season’s Globe holder.
In the Vision Impaired category, reigning Globe winners also started strong. Zebastian Modin (SWE), guided by Emil Talsi, won the distance races, while Lennart Volkert (GER) and guide Nils Kolb took the Sprint. Leonie Marie Walter (GER), guided by Florian Winkler, scored 315 World Cup points in Canmore. The joyful Canadian pair Maddie Mullin and guide Brooke Ailey twice finished second, boosting Canada’s Nations Cup hopes. "I think when we’re both having fun and just having a good time, we both ski better because we don’t feel pressure from the other person," said Brooke Ailey (CAN).
)
