Round-up of the thrilling world of winter sports, where the excitement of the FIS events and other global competitions has kept fans on the edge of their seats. From the snow-covered slopes to the icy tracks, here’s your dose of high-speed action, skilful manoeuvres and thrilling performances from around the world. Here’s all you need to know:
FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
January 18: Laax, Switzerland
– Australian Scotty James came out on top of an incredible men’s halfpipe on Saturday with a best score of 95.75 that saw off Japanese rivals Ruka Hirano and Ayumu Hirano. It was James’ fourth victory in Laax after 2019, 2020 and 2024, as well as the seventh podium place since 2017.
– The 30-year-old admitted: “It’s definitely not getting any easier. I have to say this year I’ve been really challenged and everyone is riding unbelievable. I knew I had to bring my best. I think it might be one of my favourite ones of all time because I really had to go for it tonight.”
– In the women’s halfpipe, American Maddie Mastro recorded an historic second behind compatriot Chloe Kim whose 96.50 saw off her superb 94.50 as South Korean Gaon Choi ended third. Mastro stomped both her signature double crippler and a frontside double cork 1080 to become the first woman in halfpipe competition history to stomp two double inverts in one run as well as a frontside double cork 1080.
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
January 17: Laax, Switzerland
– Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu moved into the overall Crystal Globe lead on Friday after she won the women’s freeski slopestyle from Canadian Megan Oldham in second and Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud in third – the 21-year-old Gu’s first FIS World Cup victory in slopestyle since 2020.
– Gu claimed victory with a first run that included a left double cork 1080 Japan, a right corked 900 Buick, a switch left bio 900 tailgrab and a massive alley-oop 540 Japan on the bottom quarter pipe. She said: “This one is so special to me, especially in the lead-up to the big one next year (Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics). Now I’m slowly starting to get back into slopestyle. This course, for me, has been so much fun. It’s so creative, you never really know what you’re going to expect at Laax.”
– American Mac Forehand finished in second place with a score of 83.69 in the men’s freeski slopestyle in Laax behind Norwegian winner Birk Ruud with American Alex Hall in third.
FIS ALPINE SKIING WORLD CUP
January 17: Wengen, Switzerland
– Swiss speed skier Franjo von Allmen shocked the field at Wengen on Friday in front of his home fans to bank his first FIS World Cup win in the Super-G race. Third out of the gate, Von Allmen posted a brilliant time of 1m47.65s that was never bettered with Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr 0.10s behind in second place, Swiss Stefan Rogentin third, Italian Dominik Paris fifth and two-time Super-G champion Marco Odermatt seventh.
– With Odermatt now leading the Super-G standings by 19 points from Kriechmayr, Von Allmen, 23, revealed: “There are so many emotions, I just try to be in the moment. Especially as a Swiss guy, it’s really something special. For once I did not many mistakes and had some fast skiing.”
January 18: Wengen, Switzerland
– Saturday’s downhill race down the classic Wengen course saw Odermatt get the better of his younger compatriot Von Allmen by 0.37s to finish with a famous Swiss 1-2 as Slovenian Miha Hrobat finished third.
January 19: Wengen, Switzerland
– Henrik Kristoffersen completed an all-Norwegian podium in Sunday’s slalom behind winner Atle Lie McGrath and Timon Haugan, a result which puts him 65 points ahead of Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard in the 2024/25 FIS World Cup standings with Frenchman Clément Noël in third overall.
January 18: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
– Sofia Goggia got back to winning ways on Saturday in her native Italy as she won the downhill by 0.42s from Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie with Federica Brignone back in third 0.55s behind. It was Goggia’s 26th World Cup win in all disciplines – equal 16th place on the women’s all-time list.
– Goggia, who won for the fourth time on the course that will be used at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, said: “For us Italians, it’s always a special place. I felt like I had my heart in my throat. I was so focused on myself, I didn’t want to see anyone at the TV. I didn’t know who was leading, second or third. I just had the strategy in my mind.”
FIS SKI JUMPING WORLD CUP
January 18: Sapporo, Japan
– Canadian Alexandria Loutitt produced the two best jumps in each round on Saturday to claim her first FIS World Cup victory in just over two years with Austrian Lisa Eder in second place and Norway’s Eirin Maria Kvandal in third place by the conclusion of the Women’s Large Hill HS134 event.
– The 21-year-old said: “I think my parents are lucky charms. Every time my parents are at an event, I tend to do really well. I struggled a lot this season, it’s not a secret, but coming back to my support system and my team really helped me get things back together and on the right track.”
January 18: Zakopane, Poland
– Over in Poland, Daniel Tschofenig helped his Austrian team to victory in the Men’s Team Large Hill HS140 on Saturday with Slovenia in second place and Norway finishing up in third spot.
January 19: Zakopane, Poland
– Tschofenig followed up on Sunday with another season victory in the Men’s Large Hill HS140 thanks to the best jump of the second round to finish well ahead of Norway’s Johann Andre Forfang and Austria’s Jan Hoerl. The 22-year-old said: “I didn’t really think I had a chance.”
FIS SKI CROSS WORLD CUP
January 16: Reiteralm, Austria
– Swiss ski cross star Fanny Smith secured another podium finish in Austria on Thursday when she ended up second behind Canadian winner Hannah Schmidt with India Sherret in third, after Smith edged the photo finish. Smith, 32, said: “I was kind of happy. I had good training runs, good starts, but then the two last runs I missed a bit my starts so that cost a lot.”
January 17: Reiteralm, Austria
– On Friday, Sherret got the better of Smith and Schmidt to win. Second-placed Smith added: “I’m really happy. I feel the confidence is coming back slowly. I can ski well and now everything needs to come together.”
FIS NORDIC COMBINED WORLD CUP
January 18: Schonach, Germany
– Austrian Johannes Lamparter just lost out to Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro in a Men’s Gundersen Normal Hill HS100/10,0 Km thriller on Saturday with Finnish star Ilkka Herola back in third. The 23-year-old said: “I was feeling good on the last lap and managed to set the attack, but Jens was able to follow and was better at the end so he deserved the victory. I am really happy with second.”
January 19: Schonach, Germany
– Lamparter went one better on Sunday in the Men’s Individual Compact Normal Hill HS100/7,5 Km with victory ahead of Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber as German Vinzenz Geiger banked third on home snow. It was his 13th individual World Cup win and third podium this season. He said: “I had a great jump and a fantastic race at the front. I managed to set an attack and, fortunately, it was enough today.”
– Geiger, 27, added: “It was a perfect cross-country race, even if my jump was not that good. I had good skis today and, with the crowd, it was really fun to catch up the other guys.”
FIS AERIALS WORLD CUP
January 18: Lake Placid, USA
– Swiss freestyle skier Noé Roth held his own in the men’s aerials at Lake Placid on Saturday to clinch second place in between Chinese winner Sun Jiaxu and his compatriot Li Xinpeng.
FIS SNOWBOARD ALPINE WORLD CUP
January 18: Bansko, Bulgaria
– Austrian Benjamin Karl finished second on Saturday behind compatriot Andreas Prommegger with Italian Gabriel Messner third. Karl returned after missing Bad Gastein for personal reasons and the 39-year-old claimed his 57th World Cup podium after a battle with his fellow veteran.
FIS CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CUP
January 19: Les Rousses, France
– Iivo Niskanen lost out in a thrilling Men’s 20km Mass Start Classic duel with Sweden’s William Poromaa on Sunday, the Finn second by just 0.9s with Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger in third place.
