FIL Youth Games: Home wins for the hosts

The legendary natural toboggan run "Grantau" in Umhausen (AUT) hosted the 36th FIL Youth Games on February 7th and 8th. This sporting event for young lugers aged eight to 14 was held for the first time in conjunction with the FIL Alpine Luge World Cup.

February 10, 2026

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The 2026 FIL Youth Games kicked off on Saturday evening with a lively opening ceremony at the pavilion in the village center of Umhausen. The 55 young lugers from Austria, Italy, Germany, and Slovenia marched in alongside the World Cup athletes. On race day, Sunday, the Youth Games runs alternated with those of the World Cup stars. Neo Holzknecht from RC Kühtai-Sellraintal posted the fastest time of the day among the boys with 2:42.94 minutes (1:21.62/1:21.32), while Anna Fuchs, also from RC Kühtai-Sellraintal, was unbeatable among the girls with a combined time of 2:41.72 minutes (1:20.37/1:21.35). Fuchs had finished third at the 2025 Youth Games in Jaufental.

For the first time in history, the Youth Games were held in conjunction with the World Cup. The concept worked, concludes organizing committee head Thomas Kammerlander of SV Umhausen, summing up the major event: "I think the pilot project was a success. The fact that the children's races were streamed live on the big screen in the finish area, and that the kids were connected with the World Cup entourage, will remain an unforgettable experience. The joint opening ceremony and the joint awards ceremony were fantastic. Such a race program has never been done before; of course, there's always room for improvement. I think we need to improve the schedule for integrating the Youth Games into the World Cup. In its current form, it takes a bit too long. Overall, it was a successful event."