From Altenberg, GER
(March 8, 2026) – Throughout the 2025/2026 World Cup season the racing in the women’s division had been the tightest on the FIL World Cup tour, and the final race of the season did not disappoint.
Coming into the finale, Julia Taubitz needed to finish in second place in Altenberg to clinch a title regardless of what teammate Merle Fräbel did. Fräbel would need to win and see Taubitz third or worse and she would be the season Crystal Globe holder.
Latvia’s Kendija Aparjode looked to put a wrench in things for the Germans after one run, as she entered the second heat the leader by two thousandths of a second over Fräbel, with Taubitz third.
Of the three, Taubitz was the first up in the second heat. Her second effort was quick and clean and enough to take the lead from Lisa Schulte, who was also in a battle with USA’s Summer Britcher for the final spot on the season podium.
Fräbel was next, and put down a track record run to grab the lead from Taubitz with Aparjode still to go.
Aparjode was looking for first medal of the season, and would have loved to score gold. Early on she looked to have the race won, but some trouble in the bottom portion of the track set her back by just a tenth as she crossed in third behind both Fräbel and Taubitz to take bronze, with Fräbel winning her third gold medal in her last four races.
But with Taubitz second, Taubitz took the season title by just four points over Fräbel.
Schulte finished the race in fourth place and took third overall, with Germany’s Melina Fischer and Anna Berreiter tying for fifth after being tied for the position in the first heat as well.
Britcher finished the race in eighth place and the season in fourth.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Merle Fräbel | GER | 12 | 5.559 | 5.555 | 52.036 | 51.754 | 1:43.790 |
| 2 | Julia Taubitz | GER | 14 | 5.516 | 5.506 | 52.069 | 51.858 | 1:43.927 |
| 3 | Kendija Aparjode | LAT | 6 | 5.557 | 5.570 | 52.034 | 51.899 | 1:43.933 |
| 4 | Lisa Schulte | AUT | 17 | 5.580 | 5.571 | 52.146 | 51.865 | 1:44.011 |
| 5 | Melina Fischer | GER | 11 | 5.553 | 5.548 | 52.451 | 52.084 | 1:44.535 |
| 5 | Anna Berreiter | GER | 15 | 5.554 | 5.570 | 52.451 | 52.084 | 1:44.535 |
| 7 | Natalie Maag | SUI | 16 | 5.575 | 5.583 | 52.533 | 52.099 | 1:44.632 |
| 8 | Summer Britcher | USA | 10 | 5.573 | 5.549 | 52.780 | 51.992 | 1:44.772 |
| 9 | Tove Kohala | SWE | 5 | 5.595 | 5.588 | 52.677 | 52.245 | 1:44.922 |
| 10 | Verena Hofer | ITA | 8 | 5.567 | 5.580 | 52.795 | 52.459 | 1:45.254 |
| 11 | Sandra Robatscher | ITA | 9 | 5.571 | 5.581 | 53.455 | 52.160 | 1:45.615 |
| 12 | Ioana-Corina Buzatoiu | ROU | 4 | 5.542 | 5.551 | 52.990 | 52.976 | 1:45.966 |
| 13 | Olena Smaha | UKR | 3 | 5.566 | 5.528 | 53.235 | 52.743 | 1:45.978 |
| 14 | Yulianna Tunytska | UKR | 7 | 5.578 | 5.564 | 53.047 | 52.941 | 1:45.988 |
| 15 | Klaudia Domaradzka | POL | 2 | 5.628 | 5.611 | 53.268 | 52.976 | 1:46.244 |
| 16 | Zane Kaluma | LAT | 1 | 5.575 | 5.600 | 54.571 | 52.635 | 1:47.206 |
| 17 | Emma Seer | EST | 18 | 5.709 | 5.673 | 54.980 | 54.764 | 1:49.744 |
| DNF | Dorothea Schwarz | AUT | 13 | 5.621 | DNF |