Sprint Slalom at Jenner in Schönau am Königssee a Great Success
13 women and 23 men from ten nations at Alpine Luge test event
Last Saturday (28 February 2026), the Alpine Luge Future Workshop tested a new race format at the mid-station of the Jenner cable car. Following the Sprint Slalom, there was plenty of praise, valuable new insights and two happy winners.
The Sprint Slalom at Jenner
Schönau am Königssee (FIL/01.03.2026) – Under glorious sunshine and spring-like temperatures, the aim was to test the Sprint Slalom under World Cup conditions. Luge legends Patrick Pigneter and Michael Scheikl set a fair course on the closed ski slope at the mid-station – the very place where the first Ski World Cup race was held on 5 January 1967.
In the women’s singles, Jenny Castiglioni (ITA) was in a class of her own with a combined time of 38.58 seconds. Overall Alpine Luge winner Riccarda Ruetz (AUT) made a major mistake in the first run but secured second place overall thanks to the fastest time in the second run, finishing ahead of Lotte Mulser (ITA). “The switch to the new Alpine luge is significant, but I managed it very well. The atmosphere was fantastic,” said the delighted winner.
(from left) Riccarda Ruetz (AUT), Jenny Castiglioni (ITA) and Lotte Mulser (ITA)
In the men’s singles, the winner also came from Italy: Mathias Troger, who stood on the podium twice during the past World Cup season, impressed with a perfect mix of solid technique and calculated risk. The fastest time in both runs and a combined time of 36.65 seconds earned him first place ahead of European Champion Daniel Gruber (ITA) and Fabian Achenrainer (AUT). “I think I cope very well with soft snow on a ski slope. I like the new format – it’s a rough diamond that still needs polishing by all of us,” Troger commented after the test race.
(from left) Daniel Gruber (ITA), Mathias Troger (ITA) and Fabian Achenrainer (AUT)
High Praise from Officials
Thomas Schwab, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Federation (BSD), was enthusiastic: “We’ve seen that this new race format works. We don’t need an iced track – a closed ski slope is sufficient. That saves resources; it’s the future. I hope we’ll soon see a proper Alpine Luge World Cup at Jenner.”
Christoph Schweiger, Executive Director of the International Luge Federation (FIL), also drew a positive conclusion. “We are usually racing on iced tracks in the forest. With this format, we’re bringing the sport of luge to where the people are. I’m convinced this path will be successful.”
Dietmar Herbst, President of the International Sled Sports Union (ISSU), likewise described the event as a success: “This new piece of sporting equipment has been developed over the past few years. This challenging task has been mastered with flying colours, because neither the current artificial-track luge nor the existing sport luge would have worked today. The strength of this new luge lies in its versatility – it runs both on snow and on ice.”
Gerhard Mühlbacher, Head of the Alpine Luge and Grassroots Sport Innovation Group, concluded: “We’ve seen where the journey is heading. The path we’ve chosen is the right one. We need races like this on ski slopes as a complement to the traditional races on luge tracks. If events like these bring more people into contact with the sport of luge, it can only benefit Alpine Luge as a grassroots sport.”
Results – Test Event Sprint Slalom
Top 3 Women’s Singles
1. Jenny Castiglioni (ITA) – 38.58 seconds
2. Riccarda Ruetz (AUT) – +0.99 seconds
3. Lotte Mulser (ITA) – +1.52 seconds
Top 3 Men’s Singles
1. Mathias Troger (ITA) – 36.65 seconds
2. Daniel Gruber (ITA) – +1.25 seconds
3. Fabian Achenrainer (AUT) – +1.62 seconds
