Veronika Widmann was deployed to South Korea. © Boris Beyer

Veronika Widmann with a solid start to the season

The first downhill race of the season is history: Veronika Widmann delivered a good performance, while a fellow countrywoman was delighted with the first podium of her career.

02 May 2026

From: leo

The downhill athletes were venturing into uncharted territory in Mona Yongpyong, as the World Cup returned to South Korea after 25 years. The Tramin native adapted well to the new track, securing her place in the final in the first qualifying round on Friday. Widmann finished twelfth in the final.

After a cautious start in the two upper sections, where the 33-year-old posted the 14th fastest time in each, she improved in the lower part of the course. Ultimately, she finished 13 seconds behind the victorious Austrian, Valentina Höll. "I've never struggled with a course like this before. It's incredible that I still managed to win. This is a fantastic start for my new team and for me on the new bike. I hope we can continue like this," said the 24-year-old. Last year, Höll only secured a victory in the final race. Now she has made a perfect start to the season.

The women's podium. © WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series

Widmann's compatriot Gloria Scarsi celebrated a notable success, finishing second and securing her first World Cup podium finish. The 25-year-old from Liguria was just 0,573 seconds behind Höll. France's Myriam Nicole completed the podium.

A teenager wins in the men's competition.

In the men's competition, however, fans witnessed a major upset: 19-year-old American Asa Vermette promptly celebrated his first victory in his very first World Cup race. He left French superstars Loic Bruni (+1,568) and Amaury Pierron (+2,063) far behind. No Italian skier made it into the final round of the top 30.