Ski jumper Maximilian Gartner was successful in Zakopane.

The young winter sports athletes are shining abroad

Although heavy snowfall caused some competition cancellations last week, the winter sports region of South Tyrol has nevertheless had an intense seven days.

February 24, 2026

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At the international level, Maximilian Gartner (ski jumping), Manuel Senoner (Nordic combined), Nicole Bazzanella (freestyle snowboard), and Kevin Crazzolara (snowboard) made their mark with victories. Pfitsch also hosted a stage of the Hubert Leitgeb Raiffeisen Trophy, while Latsch saw some serious tobogganing action, and Obereggen saw a stage of the Raiffeisen South Tyrol Slopestyle Tour. Here's the usual winter sports overview.

Five athletes from South Tyrol have been nominated for the Nordic Junior World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway. Maximilian Gartner, Iorio Min, and Leonie Runggaldier will compete in ski jumping at the championships, which run from March 3rd to 8th. Siblings Manuel and Anna Senoner will also compete in Nordic combined. The freeski team for the Junior World Championships in Calgary, Canada, has also been finalized. Elia Baez Locher, Max Von Aufschnaiter, and Alex Putzer will represent South Tyrol at the event, which takes place from February 28th to March 7th.

The athletes of the Nordic winter sports had a very successful week. At the Fesa Cup in Zakopane, Poland, all eyes were on Maximilian Gartner, who won a stage of this competition class for the first time in his still young career last Saturday. On the normal hill, the Val Gardena native, who also made his Four Hills Tournament debut this year on Bergisel, jumped 103 meters twice, thus prevailing over the competition. Leonie Runggaldier also made a splash: The athlete from Kastelruth, representing the South Tyrol regional team, finished in 13th place in both competitions. In Nordic Combined, Manuel Senoner celebrated a victory at the Fesa Cup last Saturday. In Rastbüchl, Germany, the Val Gardena native won with the eighth-best jumping result and the second-best cross-country skiing result.

The weekend saw a stage of the World Rookie Tour for freestyle snowboarders on the Nordkette mountain range in Innsbruck. And here, too, a South Tyrolean athlete celebrated victory. Nicole Bazzanella from the Seiser Alm Ski Team prevailed over all her competitors in the Snowboard Big Air event, securing a commanding win.

Crazzolara, Haller and Mutschlechner point to

The South Tyrolean snowboarders also delivered outstanding performances at the FIS Junior Race in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Two parallel giant slalom races were held there. In the first, Manuel Haller from Burgstall achieved the best result for South Tyrol, finishing second behind Austrian Lion Hammerschmidt. The second men's parallel giant slalom saw a South Tyrolean sweep of the podium. While Haller again finished second, regional team athlete Kevin Crazzolara (Stern im Gadertal) won the final against Haller, and Tobias Mutschlechner (St. Vigil), also from the regional team, won the small final for third place against Swiss Nuri Mosca. From a women's perspective, Anna Victoria Mammone (Welschnofen) achieved the best result for South Tyrol with seventh and tenth place finishes.

Manuel Haller, Kevin Crazzolara and Tobias Mutschlechner all stood on the podium in Lenzerheide.

In alpine skiing, the regional Super-G championship, which was scheduled to take place in Watles on Sunday as part of the Marlene Cup, had to be cancelled. As a result, only the South Tyrolean women's team competed, at a U18 National Junior Race in Zoncolan. One South Tyrolean skier made a strong impression there: Alenah Taschler from Gsies finished second in the giant slalom, behind Slovenia's Brina Stroj Skubic. In the men's competition, Noah Gasteiger, also from Gsies but not a member of the regional team, finished fourth.

Biathlon in Pfitsch, luge in Latsch and freestyle in Obereggen

The younger South Tyrolean athletes were in action at competitions in South Tyrol. On Sunday, the penultimate stage of the Hubert Leitgeb Raiffeisen Trophy for biathletes took place in Pfitsch, where the regional champions in the individual competition were also determined.

Pure action was on offer at the Hubert Leitgeb Raiffeisen Trophy in Pfitsch.

The following daily winners were determined from among the 141 participants and may now call themselves individual state champions:

U9: Theresa Obergasteiger (ASD Antholz) and Lukas Stricker (ASV Martell)
U11: Thalia Spath (Ski Nordic Ulten) and Aaron Gufler (ASC Passeier)
U13: Franziska Staffler (Ski Nordic Ulten) and Tobias Mairvongrosspeinten (ASV Rein)
U15: Lea Hochrainer (ASV Ridnaun) and Philip Mairvongrosspeinten (ASV Rein)

Meanwhile, in Latsch on Sunday, the final stage of the Raiffeisen Cup for youth sport and racing luge athletes took place. A total of 74 lugers competed on the Gumpfrei track. The following athletes achieved individual victories in the sport luge competitions:

Student 1: Lisa Obexer (ASV Villnöß) and Thomas Mitterrutzner (ASV Latzfons)
Student 2: Sofia Petriffer (ASV Villnöß) and Julian Geiser (Laugen Tisens)
Youth 1: Johannes Pircher (Laugen Tisens)
Youth 2: Teresa Runggatscher (ASV Villnöß) and Stefan Geiser (Laugen Tisens)

And the following athletes prevailed in the luge event:

Student 1: Marie Wegmann (Laas Raiffeisen) and Tom Breitenberger (Rodel Club Ultental)
Student 2: Ida Genesio (ASV Latsch) and Simon Matzoll (Rodel Club Ultental)
Youth 1: Greta Hillebrand (Völlan Raika) and Simon Torggler (ASV Latzfons)
Youth 2: Paula Fink (ASV Latzfons) and Sebastian Gögele (ASV Latsch)
Giovani/Senior: Romi Oberprantacher (RV Passeier) and Lukas Marzari (Rodel Club Ultental)


Also last Sunday, but in Obereggen, the third stage of the Raiffeisen South Tyrol Slopestyle Tour in freestyle skiing took place. Fifty-one freestyle skiers competed. The following athletes prevailed in their respective categories:

Baby F&M: Tilda Recla (Vitamin F) and Nico Iurino (Ritten Sport)
Ragazzi/Allievi F: Lotta Recla (Vitamin F)
Ragazzi M: Jan Weger (Vitamin F)
Allievi M: Colin Vinatzer (SC Gröden)
Giovani/Senior F&M: Emmi Forer (Vitamin F) and Marian Volgger (Vitamin F)