Crystal globe drama: Para Alpine season concludes in Veysonnaz

The final slaloms of the season in Veysonnaz delivered all the drama expected from a thrilling conclusion, with maiden victories, dramatic exits from top contenders, and crystal globes decided by the slimmest of margins.

Anna-Lena Forster (GER) and Arthur Bauchet (FRA) had already secured the Slalom titles in the Women’s Sitting and Men’s Standing categories, respectively. That did not stop them from adding two more victories to their stellar campaigns in Switzerland. Meanwhile, the fight for the Men’s Vision Impaired and Men’s Sitting slalom globes went down to the wire. Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) and his guide Andrea Ravelli started the penultimate race in third position after the first run, trailing Poland’s Michal Golas and guide Kacper Walas, as well as Canada’s Kalle Ericsson and guide Sierra Smith. A strong second run saw the Italian duo climb to victory by a mere 0.10 seconds over Golas and Walas, with the Canadians rounding out the podium at 0.55 seconds back. Austria’s Johannes Aigner and guide Nico Haberl, who were also in the hunt for the title, lost some ground but remained in contention going into the final slalom.

Aigner and Haberl responded by leading after the first run of the ultimate slalom, narrowly ahead of Bertagnolli and Ravelli. However, the standout performance came from Golas and Walas, who surged from fourth place after the first run to claim their first win of the season. Aigner and Haberl finished second, just 0.39 seconds away from victory, while Bertagnolli and Ravelli’s third-place finish was enough to seal the slalom globe.

In the Men’s Sitting category, Jesper Pedersen (NOR) entered the final slaloms with a 110-point lead over Jeroen Kampschreur (NED). The two rivals traded fastest-run times in the first slalom, with Pedersen ultimately edging Kampschreur by just 0.35 seconds to secure the 100 points needed to clinch the slalom title.

The Women’s Vision Impaired battle took an unexpected turn, as red-bib holders Elina Stary (AUT) and her guide Vanessa Josefa Arnold were forced to miss the finals due to Stary suffering a concussion. Veronika Aigner (AUT) and her guide, sister Elisabeth, capitalized on their absence, winning both races to secure the slalom title with a perfect 200-point haul from Veysonnaz.

The Women’s Standing category delivered a dramatic showdown. Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Anna-Maria Rieder (GER) arrived in Veysonnaz tied at 400 points apiece. Aarsjoe struck first, taking a commanding victory in the opening slalom while Rieder settled for fourth, earning only 50 points. With a 50-point cushion heading into the final race, Aarsjoe looked poised to take the globe. She led after the first run, with Rieder in third behind France’s Aurélie Richard. The German put in a determined second run, moving into the lead after Richard’s attempt. As the last skier down, Aarsjoe faltered and recorded a DNF, allowing Rieder to claim victory and the slalom title with a final tally of 550 points.

“It feels amazing, I didn’t expect it because Ebba is a very good slalom skier and I didn’t expect that she will have a DNF today, but I’m very, very happy today and finally I have it again,” Rieder said, holding the crystal globe.

With the finals concluded, the overall crystal globes were also awarded to the top athletes in each category. Arthur Bauchet dominated the Men’s Standing classification, amassing 2,035 points and sweeping all four discipline titles (Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, and Overall).

“It feels amazing, it was a really good season for me. My best since my beginning in Para Alpine, so I’m really, really happy,” Bauchet said. “For next season, I’ll be focusing on the Paralympic Games of Milano-Cortina. I hope to have the same results as this season and, of course, in the World Cup—to win all the World Cups before the Games to arrive there in the best conditions.”

The Aigner family reigned supreme in the Vision Impaired categories, with Veronika and Elisabeth securing all four globes (Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, and Overall) in the women’s competition, while Johannes and guide Nico took home the Super-G and Overall globes with a total of 1,850 points.

Anna-Lena Forster and Ebba Aarsjoe both ended their campaigns with three globes each. Forster claimed the Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Overall titles, while Aarsjoe triumphed in the Giant Slalom, Super-G, and Overall classifications.

“It’s really, really cool. It’s the first time that we get the big ones, and yeah, it’s a really nice feeling. Crazy!” Forster said. “This season was challenging. We had a lot of competitors in my class, and they’re very strong. I think next year will be very exciting, and that’s cool—I love it!”

The Men’s Sitting category delivered one of the closest overall title races of all time, with Kampschreur and Pedersen locked in a relentless battle until the very last run. In the end, Kampschreur edged out Pedersen by just five points to successfully defend his overall crystal globe.

“The last run of the season revealed the overall winner, and this is special!” Kampschreur said, reflecting on his dramatic triumph.

Germany won the Women's Nations Cup, while France claimed the Men's Nations Cup, closing the season with team success to complement the individual triumphs.