European Championships 2026: Favourites set the pace in training

31st Alpine Luge European Championships in Laas/Lasa (ITA)

Under perfect conditions, the two training runs for the 2026 Alpine Luge European Championships were held on Saturday on the “Gafair” track in Laas/Lasa (ITA). The favourites in particular set the pace in the second training run.

Laas/Lasa (FIL/24 January 2026) A total of 42 athletes (14 women/28 men) from 12 nations, as well as seven doubles teams, have been entered for the title competitions on the 850-metre natural luge track “Gafair”, located on the edge of the Stelvio National Park. Italy and Austria dominated training: in the women’s singles, Daniela Mittermair (ITA) set the fastest time of the day in the very first training run, clocking 1:03.89 minutes, ahead of three-time season winner Riccarda Ruetz (AUT, +0.38 seconds) and Nina Castiglioni (ITA, +0.84). In the second run, Ruetz was the fastest in 1:04.32 minutes, ahead of Mittermair (+0.10) and Castiglioni (+0.45).

Fastest training run for Daniela Mittermair (ITA)

In the men’s singles, local hero Daniel Gruber (ITA) claimed the fastest time in both runs. In the first session, the overall World Cup leader set the best time of the day with 1:02.75 minutes, ahead of his team-mates Fabian Brunner (ITA, +0.27) and Mathias Troger (ITA, +0.46). In the second training run, Gruber crossed the finishline in 1:02.87 minutes, once again ahead of Brunner (+0.36) and the current Junior World Cup leader Žiga Kralj (SLO, +0.57).

Local hero Daniel Gruber (ITA)

In the doubles competition, the fastest training time of the day went to defending champions Maximilian Pichler/Nico Edlinger (AUT) in 1:08.63 minutes. Tobias Paur/Andreas Hofer (ITA), who had set the fastest time in the first training run with 1:09.27 minutes, finished second overall. The third-fastest time of the day was set by reigning world champions Matthias Lambacher/Peter Lambacher (ITA) in 1:09.87 minutes.

Defending champions Maximilian Pichler/Nico Edlinger (AUT)

Programme
Sunday, 25 January 2026
9.30 am: Competition run – doubles
9.45 am: 1st competition run – women’s singles
10.15 am: 1st competition run – men’s singles
11.00 am: Final run – women’s singles, followed by flower ceremony
11.45 am: Final run – men’s singles, followed by flower ceremony and prize-giving ceremonies