Hanna Bachmann was crowned Italian champion. © FISI

South Tyrol's ski talents are attracting attention

Last weekend's alpine skiing brought South Tyrolean winter sports athletes a host of district races in the Raiffeisen Grand Prix. The competitions in Gsies, Villnöß, Ulten, and Passeier offered a spectacular event. Furthermore, David Castlunger, Jakob Franzelin, Hanna Bachmann, and Nadine Trocker were crowned the new Italian Junior Champions in Zoncolan.

February 16, 2026

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Things got heated on Saturday and Sunday in the ski resorts of Kronplatz, Villnöß, Ulten, and Pfelders. The district races of the Eastern, Central, and Western zones of the Raiffeisen Grand Prix for the U16 and U14 age groups were held there. A total of almost 800 ski racers competed in the six different races.

The West Zone district races took place on Saturday in Pfelders on the Obere-Böden slope (giant slalom) and on Sunday in Ulten on the Kircheler slope ("Piedi Veloci"). In the giant slalom, Eva Sagmeister (Vinschger Oberland) and Leo Giubbilei (Ritten Sport) won in the U14 category, while Anna Theresa Henz (Riffian Kuens) and Michael Thaler (ASC Sarntal) won in the U16 category. The day's victories on Sunday in the "Piedi Veloci" discipline – a combination of giant slalom and slalom – went to Jolina Messner (Ritten Sport) and Aron Lanpacher (ASV Tscherms) in the U14 category, and Letizia Wenter Heiss (ASC Sarntal) and Michael Thaler (ASC Sarntal) again. The giant slalom in Pfelders was organized by ASC Passeier, and the "Piedi Veloci" in Ulten by ASV Tscherms.

Top results also in Villnöß and at Kronplatz

The district races in the Central Zone also attracted a large number of participants. Both races, a giant slalom and a "Piedi Veloci," were held on the Fillerlift slope in Villnöß. On Saturday, Julia Trocker (Seiser Alm) and Elias Magoni (RG Wipptal) won the U14 giant slalom, while Carmen Gschliesser (RG Wipptal) and Simon Kaser (Seiser Alm) emerged victorious in the U16 category. The day's winners in the "Piedi Veloci" were Julia Plunger (Seiser Alm) and Elias Magoni (RG Wipptal) in the U14 category, and Francesca Miribung (SC Gröden) and Simon Kaser (Seiser Alm) again in the U16 category. ASV Villnöß served as the organizing club for both events.

The ski talents demonstrated their quality.

At the East Zone district races in Gsies on Saturday, Mia Molling (ASV TZ Jochtal) and Alex Lanz (ASV TZ Jochtal) were the winners in the U14 category, while Isabel Wisthaler (Taisten Raiffeisen) and Hannes Valentini (Ski Team Alta Badia) took the top spots in the U16 category. On Sunday, the fastest times were achieved by Mia Molling (ASV TZ Jochtal) and Matthias Winkler (Kronplatz Skiteam) in the U14 category, and Amy Happacher (3 Zinnen Dolomites) and Niklas Happacher (3 Zinnen Dolomites) in the U16 category.

South Tyrolean Junior Italian Champion

While local races took center stage in South Tyrol, the South Tyrolean state ski team was in full swing at the Italian Junior Championships in Zoncolan. The athletes, coached by Enrico Vicenzi (men's state team) and Tizian Gabrielli (women's state team), delivered outstanding performances across the board. In the giant slalom last Tuesday, David Castlunger from Stern was crowned the new U21 Italian Champion, ahead of Lorenzo Gerosa and Enrico Valentino Zucchini. And on Wednesday, another South Tyrolean U21 Italian Champion emerged victorious in the slalom: Jakob Franzelin, a former state team athlete from Montan and now a member of the Carabinieri sports unit, triumphed over Lorenzo Gerosa and Francesco Sadowski. With these outstanding results, it was hardly surprising that South Tyrol finished as the best region among the men in Zoncolan and also snatched the Italian championship title there.

One of the Italian champions: Nadine Trocker

What the South Tyrolean men can do, the women can do too: Two South Tyrolean women were crowned Italian U21 champions. On Thursday, Hanna Bachmann from Tramin posted the fastest times in the slalom. The niece of former World Cup athlete Silke Bachmann finished ahead of Giulia Romele and Alessandra Di Sabatino to claim the U21 title. But that wasn't all: On Friday, the giant slalom took place, and Nadine Trocker from Völs became the next South Tyrolean to stand atop the podium, earning the title of Italian champion. Her fellow South Tyrolean women also impressed: Nora Damian from Tiers finished fourth, and Selina Trafoier from Ultental came in fifth.