From Deutschnofen, ITA
(January 18, 2026) – Austria’s Riccarda Ruetz dominated the junior ranks over the last few seasons, and is quickly becoming the woman to beat in the senior Alpine Luge circuit as well. She slid to gold for the third time of the season as she held off Germany’s Lisa Walch for gold.
Ruetz was the final slider off the top in the first heat, and slid to a .25 second lead over Italy’s Jenny Castiglioni, with Walch .39 back in third.
Walch’s second start was a bit better than her first, and her second slide nearly matched her first run effort to take the lead from Daniela Mittermair. Castiglioni was next, and while the Italian was quick, Walch was quicker as Castiglioni fell behind by .19.
For the second time in as many runs, Ruetz was the final slider off the top. Her start was the quickest of the race, and the Austrian was quickest at every split on her way to a .64 second victory over Walch, with Casitglioni .83 back in third.
The win was Ruetz’s fourth medal of the season. She also became the first Austrian woman to ever win in Deutschnofen.
“These were two almost perfect runs,” Reutz told the media after the race. “I didn’t know I was the first Austrian woman to win here, that makes it even more special!”
Mittermair missed out on a medal by a hundredth of a second in fourth. Nadine Staffler was fifth, well off Mittermair’s pace, while Natomi Thöne was sixth.
With two race weekends still to go, Riccarda Ruetz holds a 110 point lead over Lisa Walch. Nina Castiglioni sits third, ahead of Nadine Staffler and Jenny Castiglioni.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Riccarda Ruetz | AUT | 14 | 16.81 | 16.72 | 56.15 | 56.32 | 1:52.47 |
| 2 | Lisa Walch | GER | 11 | 17.01 | 16.98 | 56.54 | 56.57 | 1:53.11 |
| 3 | Jenny Castiglioni | ITA | 10 | 16.85 | 17.04 | 56.40 | 56.90 | 1:53.30 |
| 4 | Daniela Mittermair | ITA | 9 | 16.89 | 16.83 | 56.65 | 56.66 | 1:53.31 |
| 5 | Nadine Staffler | ITA | 12 | 17.15 | 17.18 | 57.11 | 57.35 | 1:54.46 |
| 6 | Naomi Thöni | AUT | 8 | 17.30 | 17.23 | 57.28 | 57.62 | 1:54.90 |
| 7 | Hannah Nagele | AUT | 7 | 17.38 | 17.41 | 57.05 | 58.18 | 1:55.23 |
| 8 | Alina Schaffenrath | AUT | 6 | 17.21 | 17.47 | 58.26 | 58.37 | 1:56.63 |
| 9 | Patricija Urbanc | CRO | 5 | 18.32 | 18.09 | 60.00 | 60.39 | 2:00.39 |
| 10 | Nina Castiglioni | ITA | 13 | 16.74 | 17.00 | 68.13 | 57.24 | 2:05.37 |
| 11 | Lotte Mulser | ITA | 4 | 17.11 | 57.50 | |||
| 12 | Tina Stuffer | ITA | 3 | 17.25 | 57.67 | |||
| 13 | Carina Miller | AUT | 2 | 18.00 | 58.56 | |||
| 14 | Emma Ruetz | AUT | 1 | 17.39 | 58.70 |