Masters and Nilsen seal Crystal Globes at Jakuszyce WC Finals

The 2025/26 FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup Finals got underway in Szklarskiej Poręba Jakuszyce (POL) on Wednesday January 28. Despite the absence of several top teams including those from Canada, Russia, China and most of the French squad, there were some fine performances with Americans and Ukrainians impressing most.

Oksana Masters (USA) secured the women’s Sitting series with two races to spare after completing a midweek double in Jakuszyce. In Wednesday’s sprint, The 36-year-old was over half a minute clear of Merle Menje (GER) and Indira Liseth (NOR) with both women scoring first World Cup podium finishes.

Menje later posted on her Instagram page, “This race is not necessarily representative of a podium, because we had a few fewer athletes competing today. But it's for all the last few years in which I've invested a lot, for all the work, for the passion for this sport, for me.

“There aren't many people who really know what it took and what it cost me to be where I am again. But these people are special and I am very grateful to them for accompanying me up to this point.”

Masters followed up in Thursday’s 6km Interval Start Free - shortened from 10km at the request of the jury - again having over 30 seconds in hand on her rivals, as she clinched a sixth Sitting Crystal Globe. This time her nearest competitor was teammate Kendall Gretsch who missed the Sprint and is still seeking a first victory of the season. Menje was third to double her career podium tally.

Josh Sweeney (USA) took an ultra-competitive men’s Sitting Sprint. He managed to stay in front of a tight battle for the podium places with just over half a second covering the next three home. Yerbol Khamitov (KAZ) won the fight for second from Pavlo Bal (UKR) with overall World Cup leader Giuseppe Romele (ITA) fourth.

But Romele strengthened his grip on the Crystal Globe in style in Thursday’s Interval Start. Starting last, the 33-year-old almost caught Bal on the track as he won by close to 23 seconds. As had been the case on Wednesday, Khamitov just got the better of Bal for second. With two races to go at the weekend, the Italian leads Bal by 54 points as he bids to regain the overall title he won in 2024.

Nilsen reigns again, after Ukraine sweep men’s Standing Sprint

Grygorii Vovchynski crossed the line first as Ukraine’s men swept the podium in Wednesday’s Standing Sprint. Vovchynski finished just ahead of Serafym Drahum, clinching his first World Cup win in seven years, with Dmytro Sereda six seconds back in third.

With Vovchynski missing Thursday’s 6km Interval Start, his teammates filled second, third and fourth with Drahum in front of Serhii Romaniuk and Sereda. Edging out Drahum by just over a second was Witold Skupien (POL) who claimed his first win for almost exactly a year. Those two runner-up finishes saw Drahum all but clinch the Crystal Globe - he leads Taiki Kawayoke by 141 points in the series standings with the Japanese not competing in Poland.

Vilde Nilsen (NOR) did secure her series title, matching Masters’ tally of six Crystal Globes, with a double in Jakuszyce. On Wednesday, she won by four seconds from Sydney Peterson (USA) with Liudmyla Lukashenko (UKR) just behind in third.

With Peterson missing Thursday’s race, 25-year-old Nilsen scored the win that ensured she would collect her fourth consecutive series title. Lukashenko was just over 20 seconds back with another Ukrainian, Oleksandra Kononova, rounding out the podium in third. Nilsen holds an unassailable 215-point advantage over Lukashenko in the standings.

Double for Bubenickova as Modin closes in on VI Crystal Globe

Simona Bubenickova (CZE) took full advantage of the absence of Vision Impaired (VI) series leader Leonie Walter (GER) by winning both races in Jakuszyce.

With guide David Srutek, the 17-year-old won Wednesday’s Sprint by nearly five seconds from Linn Kazmaier (GER; guide Florian Baumann). Oleksandra Danylenko (UKR; guide Mykyta Stakhurskyi) was a distant third as she finished on the podium for the first time in her World Cup debut season.

The same athletes filled the top three on Thursday with Bubenickova in dominant form. The Czech teenager beat Kazmaier by a minute and three-quarters for her fifth triumph of the season. But she only lies third in the overall standings, 84 points behind Walter and 23 behind Kazmaier. So even were Bubenickova to win the weekend’s two races, second place for Kazmaier in both would be enough for the 19-year-old German to put her on top unless Walter takes part.

Zebastian Modin (SWE) is on course for his seventh Crystal Globe after winning Wednesday’s Sprint. Modin and guide Emil Talsi were the only non-Ukrainians in the final, but won by over five seconds. It was desperately close behind with Dmytro Suiarko (guide Oleksandr Nikonovych) half a second in front of Ihor Kravchuk (guide Andriy Dotsenko), and Iaroslav Reshetynskyi (guide Dmytro Drahun) missing out on the podium by just six hundredths of a second.

Modin sat out the Interval Start with Oleksandr Kazik (UKR; guide Serhii Kucheriavyi) capitalizing on his absence to clinch his maiden World Cup win in his 31st start. He was 45 seconds ahead of Inkki Inola (FIN; guide Reetu Inkila) with another Ukrainian, Maksym Murashkovskyi (guide Vitaliy Trush), a further nine seconds back in third.

Holding a lead of 168 points over nearest rival Suiarko, Modin should have little trouble wrapping up the series crown at the weekend which kicks off with a 10km Interval Start on Saturday. And Sunday's 10km Mass Start brings the 2025/26 FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup to a close.