The many young athletes tried their hand at various disciplines. © Harald Wisthaler

Young athletes experience Antholz Olympic feeling

The finals of the Bike Challenge, featuring over 40 teams, took place on Wednesday at the South Tyrol Arena in Antholz. The event combined running, inline skating, mountain biking, obstacle courses, and shooting – and was a resounding success. Olympic talks with South Tyrolean sports stars rounded out the day and heightened anticipation for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

September 04, 2025

From: pm

On Wednesday, from early afternoon onward, the Südtirol Arena "belonged" to the young local talents. The young athletes were given training on the spacious grounds. Each team member had to complete one of five disciplines as part of the FISI Summer Olympics: running (560 meters), inline skating (380 meters), mountain biking (1240 meters), obstacle course (330 meters), and shooting (air rifle, with a 420-meter run and possible penalty laps). At 15 p.m., speaker Luis Mahlknecht finally opened the sporting competition for the various age groups, which focused not only on individual performance but also on teamwork.

In the VSS (U12) category, the Marebbe juniors were unbeatable, with the Sci Club Al Plan taking first place (Vert) and second place (Blanch). The Toblach Speedy 2 Ski Club rounded out the podium. The Ridnaun 14 won the Grand Prix age group (U16 and U2.0). Behind them, the Skiteam 3 Zinnen GPX and Kronplatz 1 took the honors. The Junior & Over category went to the Kronplatz 4 team, which prevailed ahead of the RG Wipptal and The Ridnauners Bikers.

Top&Talent team makes a strong impression

A total of almost 150 young and young-at-heart athletes competed, including a five-person team of potential Olympic athletes from the Top&Talent program. Cross-country skier Ylvie Folie, ski crosser Yanick Gunsch, luger Leon Felderer, ski jumper Aaron Kostner, and snowboarder Gabriel Messner not only demonstrated their physical abilities but were also available for autographs and selfies before and after the competitions.

The winners of the Junior Open. © Harald Wisthaler

After the awards ceremony, another highlight took place with the Olympic Talks. Ski legend Gustav Thöni, freestyler Silvia Bertagna, biathletes Werner Kiem, Wilfried Pallhuber, Johann Passler, and Gottlieb Taschler, as well as Paralympic athlete Roland Ruepp, answered questions from moderator Alex Tabarelli. The children and young people in attendance listened captivated to the stories of the South Tyrolean sports icons before this special day came to a close.

Positive conclusion from the State Winter Sports Association

Thomas Valentini, who is responsible for the FISI Bike Challenge within the South Tyrolean Winter Sports Federation, was enthusiastic. "We deliberately wanted to make the finals of the FISI Bike Challenge different this year, and I think that with the South Tyrol Arena, we've found the ideal location for a true sports festival. The feedback from the participating teams was consistently positive. I would like to thank them for their sporting commitment, as well as all the partners and sponsors who made the Bike Challenge possible in the first place," said Valentini.

Countless young athletes competed in the Südtirol Arena. © Harald Wisthaler

Markus Ortler, President of FISI South Tyrol, was also enthusiastic. "I would like to compliment Thomas Valentini and his team – for the three stages in Cermes, St. Vigil, and Vipiteno, but especially for the successful finale here in Antholz. It's wonderful to see our many talented athletes from the various disciplines together, and I think it's a rare opportunity for them, too, to meet peers from other sports and to exchange ideas. I wish everyone an injury-free continuation of their preparations and, of course, a successful 2025/26 season, in which we will have the great privilege of experiencing the Olympic Games here and in the neighboring regions," Ortler concluded.