Feldberg (GER) 22 Jan – 23 Jan 2026
Source: https://www.fis-ski.com/
The FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup is the highest level of international competition for para-alpine skiers, organized by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). It serves as the primary circuit for elite athletes with physical or visual impairments to compete for the “Crystal Globe” trophies.
As of July 2022, FIS took over the governance of the sport from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), bringing it under the same organizational umbrella as able-bodied alpine skiing.
How Competitions Work
The World Cup consists of races in five primary disciplines: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill, and Alpine Combined. Because athletes have varying degrees of impairment, the competition uses a “Factored System” to ensure fairness:
- Actual Time: The clock-time it takes for the athlete to finish the course.
- The Factor: A decimal number (based on the severity of the impairment) that multiplies the actual time.
- Calculated Time: The result used to determine the winner. This allows a skier with a more severe impairment to compete directly against one with a less severe impairment.
Competition Categories
Athletes are grouped into three main categories based on their functional mobility or vision. Within these categories, they are further classified into specific “LW” (Locomotor Winter) or “B” (Blind) classes.
1. Visually Impaired (B1–B3)
Skiers in this category compete with a sighted guide who skis in front of them and provides verbal directions via a radio headset or speakers.
- B1: Athletes who are totally blind. They must wear blacked-out goggles during the race.
- B2: Athletes with very low visual acuity (less than 2/60).
- B3: Athletes with visual acuity between 2/60 and 6/60.
2. Standing (LW1–LW9)
This category includes athletes with limb deficiencies (amputations), muscle weakness, or coordination impairments who are able to ski on their feet.
- LW1–4: Lower limb impairments. Some use two skis, while others use one ski and “outriggers” (crutches with small ski tips for balance).
- LW5–8: Upper limb impairments (e.g., missing arms). These athletes often ski without poles or with a single pole.
- LW9: Combined upper and lower limb impairments.
3. Sitting (LW10–LW12)
Athletes with impairments affecting their legs (such as spinal cord injuries or double leg amputations) use a sit-ski (or mono-ski).
- LW10: Athletes with no abdominal strength or sitting balance.
- LW11: Athletes with some abdominal strength and fair sitting balance.
- LW12: Athletes with good sitting balance and some leg function (e.g., double leg amputees).
Key Differences from Able-Bodied Racing
- Equipment: Specialized gear like mono-skis, outriggers, and prosthetic adaptations are standard.
- Guides: For visually impaired racers, the guide is considered an equal partner; they even receive their own medals on the podium.
- Safety: While the speeds are similar (reaching up to 100 km/h in downhill), course setting sometimes takes into account the specific turning radii required for sit-skiers.
2026 FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup Feldberg
World Cup
Women’s Slalom Vision Impaired
January 22, 2026
- 1st Run: 10:00
- 2nd Run: 12:45
World Cup
Men’s Slalom Vision Impaired
January 22, 2026
- 1st Run: 10:00
- 2nd Run: 12:45
World Cup
Women’s Slalom Vision Impaired
January 23, 2026
- 1st Run: 10:00
- 2nd Run: 12:45
World Cup
Men’s Slalom Vision Impaired
January 23, 2026
- 1st Run: 10:00
- 2nd Run: 12:45
As we move through the heart of the 2025/2026 season, the FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup is in high gear, serving as the critical final stretch for athletes to qualify for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics (starting March 4, 2026).
Here is the current landscape of the season as of late January 2026:
2025/2026 Schedule & Recent Highlights
The circuit has recently wrapped up high-stakes technical and speed events in Austria and is heading toward Germany and France.
| Date | Venue | Focus / Disciplines | Status |
| Dec 10–12, 2025 | Steinach am Brenner (AUT) | Season Opener | Completed |
| Dec 19–21, 2025 | St. Moritz (SUI) | Speed & Technical | Completed |
| Jan 12–17, 2026 | Saalbach (AUT) | Downhill & Super-G | Completed |
| Jan 22–23, 2026 | Feldberg (GER) | Slalom | Ongoing/Just Ended |
| Jan 26–30, 2026 | Méribel (FRA) | New Venue Debut | Upcoming |
| Feb 2–6, 2026 | Tignes (FRA) | Final European Stop | Upcoming |
| Feb 9–10, 2026 | Veysonnaz (SUI) | World Cup Finals | Upcoming |
Recent Results (Saalbach, Austria)
The races in Saalbach this month were a major showcase of talent:
- Mollie Jepsen (CAN): In the Women’s Standing category, she captured her first World Cup win since 2021 after returning from injury, securing four podiums in four days.
- Kurt Oatway (CAN): Dominated the Men’s Sitting Super-G, marking his 10th career World Cup victory.
- Elina Stary (AUT): Continues to lead the charge in the Women’s Vision Impaired category, recently taking a win in the Feldberg Slalom (Jan 22).
Notable Athletes to Watch
As we approach the Paralympics, keep an eye on these dominant figures:
- Men’s Standing: Alexis Guimond (CAN) and Arthur Bauchet (FRA) are in a fierce rivalry for the top spot.
- Women’s Sitting: Audrey Pascual Seco (ESP) and Momoka Muraoka (JPN) are the primary contenders for the overall crystal globe.
- Women’s Standing: Anna-Maria Rieder (GER) and Varvara Voronchikhina (RUS) have been trading podium spots throughout the January races.
What’s Next for the Season
The next few weeks in Méribel and Tignes are the “home stretch.” These races are the last chance for lower-ranked athletes to secure the “Minimum Eligibility Standard” points required to compete in the Paralympic Games this March.
History
The history of the FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup is a story of evolution—from grassroots efforts by post-WWII veterans to its modern-day status as a fully integrated elite professional circuit.
1. Post-War Origins (1940s–1960s)
The sport began as a form of rehabilitation for injured veterans returning from World War II.
- 1947–1948: The first documented championships for disabled skiers were held in Badgastein, Austria, with 17 athletes.
- Early Innovations: Austrian veteran Sepp Zwicknagel, who lost both legs, became a pioneer by teaching himself to ski and later founding a disabled division within the Austrian Ski Association.
- Equipment Breakthroughs: In 1967, Josef Shrall developed the first modern sit-ski in Germany, allowing wheelchair users to participate in the sport.
2. Global Expansion & The First Paralympics (1970s–1980s)
During this era, the sport moved beyond amputee-only competition to include other impairment groups.
- 1974: The first World Para Alpine Skiing Championships took place in Grand Bornand, France.
- 1976: Alpine skiing was a foundation sport at the first Winter Paralympic Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. At the time, only Slalom and Giant Slalom were contested.
- Category Growth: Visually impaired skiing gained traction in 1969 through programs in Aspen, Colorado, and was eventually added to the Paralympic program in 1984.
3. The Creation of the World Cup (1990s–2000s)
As the level of competition grew, a season-long circuit was needed to crown an overall champion, similar to the able-bodied FIS World Cup.
- 1990s: An unofficial circuit began to take shape as international travel became more common for para-athletes.
- 1999–2000: The first official sanctioned World Cup season was held. The first individual race took place in Breckenridge, Colorado, in December 1999, and the first “Crystal Globes” were awarded in the spring of 2000.
- Governance Shift: In 2004, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) took over the primary management of the World Cup from the FIS to centralize para-sport governance.
4. The FIS “Takeover” & Integration (2022–Present)
The most recent chapter in the sport’s history is the move toward full integration with able-bodied skiing.
- July 13, 2022: A historic agreement was signed where the IPC transferred the governance of Para Alpine, Para Cross-Country, and Para Snowboard back to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
- Strategic Goal: The move was designed to professionalize the sport further, providing para-athletes with better access to world-class venues, officiating, and broadcasting—essentially treating para-alpine skiing as a specialized discipline of the broader FIS family rather than a separate entity.
Summary of Discipline Introductions
- 1976: Slalom and Giant Slalom (Paralympics)
- 1984: Downhill added
- 1994: Super-G added
- 2010: Super Combined added
