From Umhausen, AUT
(February 7, 2026) – A week ago, Italy’s Tina Stuffer slid to her first ever Junior World Championship title. This weekend she took her first career World Cup gold medal as she came from behind to edge Lisa Walch.
Stuffer was third off in the first heat and slid to the lead, a lead she would hold for 11 sleds until Walch threw down an outstanding first run to take a .44 second lead.
Stuffer pulled off the top in the second heat with a start that matched her first, but had a much cleaner and quicker second run to slide to a a .46 second lead over World Cup leader Riccarda Ruetz with just Walch to go.
Walch had been close multiple times now, and had an early lead in the second heat over Stuffer. Her second run rivaled Stuffer’s nearly all the way down the Austrian track, but late trouble dropped her behind Stuffer, as she eventually crossed the finish line just .05 back behind the Italian.
Stuffer’s second run was the quickest of the race, but afterward the junior world champ told the FIL media that it did not feel nearly as good.
“My feeling during the run wasn’t good at all,” Stuffer said. “Everything felt slow. At the finish I couldn’t judge my performance; it could just as well have been fourth or so. Now, of course, I’m very happy.”
For Walch, a silver medal matched a career best as her second straight.
Ruetz took bronze, with a second run that was only .11 off of Stuffer’s second run time.
Italy’s Nina Castiglioni and Lotte Musler were fourth and fifth.
Ruetz holds a 95 point lead over Walch with one race weekend to go. Nina Castiglioni is third, with Nadine Staffler and Jenny Castiglioni fourth and fifth.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Tina Stuffer | ITA | 3 | 11.99 | 11.99 | 77.09 | 75.77 | 2:32.86 |
| 2 | Lisa Walch | GER | 14 | 12.14 | 12.03 | 76.65 | 76.26 | 2:32.91 |
| 3 | Riccarda Ruetz | AUT | 15 | 12.18 | 11.91 | 77.44 | 75.88 | 2:33.32 |
| 4 | Nina Castiglioni | ITA | 13 | 12.05 | 11.94 | 77.38 | 76.28 | 2:33.66 |
| 5 | Lotte Mulser | ITA | 4 | 12.10 | 11.98 | 77.19 | 77.15 | 2:34.34 |
| 6 | Daniela Mittermair | ITA | 10 | 12.15 | 12.20 | 77.67 | 76.78 | 2:34.45 |
| 7 | Alina Schaffenrath | AUT | 7 | 12.24 | 12.25 | 78.05 | 77.50 | 2:35.55 |
| 8 | Naomi Thöni | AUT | 9 | 12.29 | 12.27 | 78.70 | 77.58 | 2:36.28 |
| 9 | Carina Miller | AUT | 2 | 12.20 | 12.11 | 78.58 | 77.80 | 2:36.38 |
| 10 | Ruby Carla Holland-moritz | GER | 5 | 12.37 | 12.15 | 81.24 | 78.74 | 2:39.98 |
| 11 | Patricija Urbanc | CRO | 6 | 12.63 | 12.69 | 80.63 | 79.64 | 2:40.27 |
| 12 | Jenny Castiglioni | ITA | 11 | 12.18 | 78.16 | |||
| 13 | Nadine Staffler | ITA | 12 | 12.23 | 78.75 | |||
| 14 | Hannah Nagele | AUT | 8 | 12.39 | 79.38 | |||
| 15 | Emma Ruetz | AUT | 1 | 12.34 | 79.45 |