Andrea Vötter (front) and Marion Oberhofer cheered enthusiastically. © ANSA / TOMS KALNINS

Vötter and Oberhofer race onto the podium

For Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer, the 2026 Olympic year began perfectly. The two South Tyrolean athletes reached the podium for the first time this season in Sigulda, Latvia.

03 January 2026

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Vötter/Oberhofer were already in a promising third place after the first run. In the second run, they confirmed their strong performance and even achieved the second-fastest time.

Ultimately, the duo from Völs and Rodeneck finished in third place, 2,203 seconds behind the victorious North Tyrolean pair Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp. Second place went to Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina (Germany, +0,031 seconds).

Andrea Vötter (left) and Marion Oberhofer achieved their best result of the season. © ANSA / TOMS KALNINS

For Vötter and Oberhofer, it was their first podium finish of the season and already the 17th of their joint doubles career. With the Winter Olympics starting in February, the duo, who won the overall World Cup title in both 2023 and 2024, made an impressive comeback. The second South Tyrolean duo, Nadia Falkensteiner (Montal) and Annalena Huber (Kiens), were eliminated in the first run.

Men are also doing well.

The South Tyrolean men's doubles team also achieved good results. Emanuel Rieder (Meransen) and Simon Kainzwaldner (Völlan) finished fifth, 0,276 seconds behind the Latvians Eduards Sevics-Mikelsevics and Luass Krasts. The home team won ahead of the Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Artl (+0,078). Third place also went to Latvia, to Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (+0,085).

Ivan Nagler (Campill) and Fabian Malleier (Völlan) finished the race in sixth place (+0,312). After finishing ninth in the first run, they impressed with the sixth-fastest time in the second run. The younger Italians, Philipp Brunner (Wengen) and Manuel Weissensteiner (Steinegg), finished in twelfth place (+1,124).