A signpost at the first World Cup of the year

This weekend, luge athletes are competing in the first World Cup of 2026 in Sigulda, Latvia – and already achieved successes on Friday. Meanwhile, the bobsleigh World Cup is taking place in Winterberg.

02 January 2026

From: never

The Nations Cup finals took place on Friday, kicking off the 2026 Olympic year. The South Tyrolean lugers showcased their strong form. Simon Kainzwaldner and Emanuel Rieder raced to victory in the doubles, while Leon Felderer and Sandra Robatscher each secured second place in the singles. Robatscher was only beaten in the World Cup qualifying race by American Emily Fischnaller, partner of Dominik Fischnaller.

Things get serious in the coming days. The women's (9:30 a.m.) and men's (11:05 a.m.) singles events kick things off, with their first runs on Saturday and the finals taking place the following day (11:15 a.m.). The doubles elite will compete entirely on Saturday (starting at 12:25 p.m.). The World Cup concludes with the team relay on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.

Bobsleigh World Cup: Baumgartner and Virginer participating

Meanwhile, the focus for bobsledders is shifting to the races in Winterberg. On the world's fourth oldest artificial ice track, two South Tyroleans, Alex Verginer and Patrick Baumgartner, who has already achieved a third-place finish and other top results this season, will be competing. The two-man bobsled races will take place on Saturday starting at 3:30 p.m., while the four-man bobsled specialists will compete on Sunday starting at 3:00 p.m.

World Cup: The Azzurri's nominees

Sledding in Sigulda: Dominik Fischnaller, Leon Felderer, Alex Gufler, Leon Haselrieder, Alexandra Oberstolz, Sandra Robatscher, Verena Hofer, Nina Zöggeler, Philipp Brunner, Manuel Weissensteiner, Emanuel Rieder, Simon Kainzwaldner, Ivan Nagler, Fabian Malleier, Nadia Falkensteiner, Annalena Huber, Andrea Vötter, Marion Oberhofer

Bobsleigh World Cup in Winterberg: Patrick Baumgartner, Mattia Variola, Alex Verginer, Robert Mircea, Fabio Batti, Mario Lambrughi, Eric Fantazzini, Lorenzo Bilotti, Riccardo Ragazzi, Giada Andreutti, Simona De Silvestro, Tania Vicenzino, Alessia Gatti, Martina Favaretto