From Sigulda, LAT
(January 17, 2026) – Jonas Frei and Christopher Stewart went one-two to kick off a four race stint in Sigulda for the Para Sport World Cup.
The Swiss duo were tied after the first heat, with Czechia’s Gabriela Knapova in third with her best single run slide of the season thus far. Behind the provisional podium, USA’s Robert Balk, Austria’s Hermann Allmauer, and USA’s Austin Parker rounded out the top six, all within .28 of the lead.
Parker took the lead from home track slider Arturs Klots, but quickly gave it up to Ellmauer. Ellmauer, in turn, was out-slid by just over a tenth to give up his spot to Balk.
Knapova was next, and early on had a run that matched her first effort. But trouble in the bottom third of the track set her back as she plummeted down the running order, eventually finishing 11th.
That put Balk on the podium with the two Swiss sleds to go.
Stewart was first, and while his second run wasn’t as good as his first, it was enough to hold off Balk by a tenth with just Frei to go.
Frei answered the bell, setting the quickest run in the second heat to slide to a .23 second victory over Stewart, with Balk third.
Ellmauer and Parker were fourth and fifth, with Klots and Flavio Menardi tied for sixth.
Great Britain’s Corie Mapp again couldn’t quite find his pace and slid to eighth place, just ahead of USA’s Tyler Jeffries and Guillermo Castillo in ninth and tenth.
Doc Jacobs and Gabi Cha were 12th and 14th, respectively.
Israel Blanco, winner of the previous race, crashed in his second run and did not finish.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Jonas Frei | SUI | 3 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 43.87 | 43.93 | 1:27.80 |
| 2 | Christopher Stewart | SUI | 4 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 43.87 | 44.16 | 1:28.03 |
| 3 | Robert Balk | USA | 13 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.08 | 44.05 | 1:28.13 |
| 4 | Hermann Ellmauer | AUT | 2 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 44.09 | 44.15 | 1:28.24 |
| 5 | Austin Parker | USA | 1 | 1.61 | 1.60 | 44.15 | 44.15 | 1:28.30 |
| 6 | Arturs Klots | LAT | 9 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.16 | 44.22 | 1:28.38 |
| 6 | Flavio Menardi | ITA | 6 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.17 | 44.21 | 1:28.38 |
| 8 | Corie Mapp | GBR | 12 | 1.61 | 1.60 | 44.25 | 44.27 | 1:28.52 |
| 9 | Tyler Jeffries | USA | 10 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.34 | 44.35 | 1:28.69 |
| 10 | Guillermo Castillo | USA | 11 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.33 | 44.38 | 1:28.71 |
| 11 | Gabriela Knapova | CZE | 14 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 44.07 | 44.72 | 1:28.79 |
| 12 | Doc Jacobs | USA | 8 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 44.84 | 44.64 | 1:29.48 |
| 13 | Fabrizio Caselli | ITA | 15 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 46.51 | 44.37 | 1:30.88 |
| 14 | Gabi Cha | USA | 5 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 48.39 | 44.73 | 1:33.12 |
| DNF | Israel Blanco | ESP | 7 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 44.43 | DNF |