From Lillehammer, NOR
(January 10, 2026) – USA’s Robert Balk won the season opening race of the 2025/2026 IBSF Para Sport World Cup season in Lillehammer, holding off Spain’s Israel Blanco for the top spot.
Blanco took the lead early in the first heat, but was quickly bumped by Balk. As the field filled in behind them, Austrian standout Hermann Ellmauer slid to third, just .17 back with Great Britain’s Corie Mapp in fourth, less than a quarter of a second off of Balk’s pace.
Mapp’s second slide was a bit off the pace of his first effort, but enough to take the lead from Italy’s Flavio Menardi, but not enough to hold off Ellmauer, who took over the top spot in the second heat by three hundredths.
Blanco was next, and his second effort was more than enough to hold off Ellmauer by nearly two tenths and put at least a bit of pressure on Balk.
But Balk was undeterred. By the first split he was ahead of everyone and from there it was clear sailing as he took gold by .28 over Blanco, with Ellamauer third.
Mapp, Menardi, and Switzerland’s Jonas Frei rounded out the top six.
USA’s Guillermo Castillo was eighth, with Austin Parker and Doc Jacobs tenth and 11th. Tyler Jeffries and Gabi Cha were 13th and 15th.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Robert Balk | USA | 4 | 6.18 | 6.18 | 56.30 | 56.49 | 1:52.79 |
| 2 | Israel Blanco | ESP | 3 | 6.20 | 6.23 | 56.35 | 56.72 | 1:53.07 |
| 3 | Hermann Ellmauer | AUT | 7 | 6.16 | 6.20 | 56.47 | 56.79 | 1:53.26 |
| 4 | Corie Mapp | GBR | 5 | 6.18 | 6.21 | 56.54 | 56.75 | 1:53.29 |
| 5 | Flavio Menardi | ITA | 8 | 6.19 | 6.21 | 56.67 | 56.65 | 1:53.32 |
| 6 | Jonas Frei | SUI | 1 | 6.19 | 6.22 | 56.59 | 56.74 | 1:53.33 |
| 7 | Fabrizio Caselli | ITA | 6 | 6.19 | 6.21 | 56.68 | 56.73 | 1:53.41 |
| 8 | Guillermo Castillo | USA | 2 | 6.17 | 6.19 | 56.59 | 56.83 | 1:53.42 |
| 9 | Christopher Stewart | SUI | 15 | 6.17 | 6.16 | 56.69 | 56.76 | 1:53.45 |
| 10 | Austin Parker | USA | 9 | 6.16 | 6.18 | 56.67 | 56.80 | 1:53.47 |
| 11 | Doc Jacobs | USA | 13 | 6.19 | 6.19 | 56.77 | 56.99 | 1:53.76 |
| 12 | Kristjan Peljhan | SLO | 10 | 6.19 | 6.19 | 56.99 | 57.18 | 1:54.17 |
| 13 | Tyler Jeffries | USA | 11 | 6.17 | 6.17 | 57.19 | 56.99 | 1:54.18 |
| 14 | Gabriela Knapova | CZE | 14 | 6.18 | 6.19 | 57.31 | 57.02 | 1:54.33 |
| 15 | Gabi Cha | USA | 12 | 6.18 | 6.18 | 57.71 | 57.73 | 1:55.44 |