Generation Next let loose at Alpine Junior World Champs

Five Australians have taken on the world’s best up-and-coming skiers at the 2026 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships in Narvik, Norway from 5 to 15 March.

Two members of the team were making their Championships debuts, with Madi Gilson’s 26th place in the women’s slalom on the penultimate day of racing proving to be Australia’s best result of the competition.

The 17-year-old, competing at her first Junior World Championships, showed impressive composure in the technical event. After sitting 33rd following the opening run, Gilson produced a strong second run to climb seven places and finish comfortably inside the top 30.

Fellow slalom specialist Phoebe Heaydon looked set to challenge for a breakthrough result before misfortune struck.

Arriving in Narvik fresh from her Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026, where she finished 34th in giant slalom, the 20-year-old delivered a superb opening slalom run to sit fourth at the halfway mark, placing her firmly in contention for Australia’s first Alpine Junior World Championships medal.

However, a mistake in the upper section of the second run brought an early end to her race, denying her the chance to improve on last year’s 17th-place finish.

Abbey Evans, competing at her third Junior World Championships, produced a solid performance in the Women’s Super G to score 35th place, narrowly improving on her previous best JWC result of 36th in the same event at the 2025 championships.

Evans also showed encouraging pace in the giant slalom, sitting 56th after the opening run before failing to finish the second run.

Making her Junior Worlds debut, Cate Dance raced both technical disciplines during what has been an exceptionally busy European winter, competing nearly 30 times in the past three months. The 20-year-old improved significantly between giant slalom runs to finish 47th, climbing 20 places from her first-run position.

On the men’s side, Felix Sachs contested three disciplines in his second appearance at the championships.

The 17-year-old delivered his strongest result in the super-G, finishing 40th to record a new personal best at the Junior World Championships, surpassing the 41st place slalom result he achieved at Tarvisio in 2025. Sachs also placed 46th in giant slalom after moving up from 64th following the first run.

While podium results proved elusive against the traditional alpine powerhouses, the championships provided another important step in the development pathway for Australia’s young alpine skiers as they continue building toward future opportunities on the international stage.