SPORT RECAP: Aussies in Action Across Europe as World Cup Season Heats Up

Australian athletes were in the thick of competition across Europe over the weekend across Freeski Slopestyle and Alpine Skiing in the World Cup season.

Freeski Slopestyle - Harrigan 15th as Weather Impacts Stubai Opener

NSWIS freeskiers Abi Harrigan and Daisy Thomas kicked off their 2025-2026 World Cup campaigns in Stubai, Austria, finishing 15th and 24th respectively.

With severe winds forcing organisers to cancel the men’s event, where Joey Elliss was scheduled to compete, the final rankings for the women were determined from the best of two qualification runs.

Harrigan opened with a score of 50.16, placing her inside the top 15, while Thomas posted 39.40 from her first attempt.

The tour now turns to Secret Garden, China, where a Big Air World Cup awaits on November 29-30.

Australian snowboard stars Tess Coady and Valentino Guseli will make their season debuts, with Guseli returning to competition for the first time since injury last December.

Alpine Skiing - Australians Line Up in Gurgl, Austria

Australian alpine athletes continued their European campaign in Gurgl, Austria, as the World Cup shifted from Finland to the Tirolian slopes.

Sophie Mahon, in just her second World Cup appearance, placed 43rd in the opening run of the women’s slalom.

In the men’s field, Olympian Louis Muhlen-Schulte finished his first run in 45th place, while teammate Hugh McAdam recorded a DNF.

The Alpine tour now heads to North America, with upcoming races at Copper Mountain and Beaver Creek (USA), before moving to Tremblant in Canada.

Pitztal Ski Cross & Beitostølen Cross-Country

Australian athletes have opened their Northern Hemisphere season in strong form across both Ski Cross and Cross-Country. At the Pitztal glacier in Austria, National Alpine Ski Team athlete Liam Michael delivered the standout Ski Cross results of the weekend, finishing 5th in the first event and 6th in the second, demonstrating excellent early-season pace and consistency against a high-quality international field. Fellow National Alpine Ski Team member Kyra Wheatley made an impressive return to competition following injury, placing 11th and 15th across the two events and showing promising progression as she builds back toward peak race sharpness. Jenny Owens, returning to the start gate after retirement, added further strength to the Australian contingent with finishes of 25th and 12th, highlighting a successful re-entry into competitive racing.

At the same time, the members of the Australian Cross-Country Team completed a productive performance block at Beitostølen, Norway, one of the most competitive early-season venues on the calendar. Phoebe Cridland led the results with a strong 31st place finish in the 10 km Free, earning sub-100 FIS points in a field stacked with World Cup athletes. Teammates Ellen Soehoel Lie, Anna Trnka, and Sarah Slattery added valuable race exposure across sprint, classic, and free-distance events, gaining important data and early-season conditioning as the team moves toward a busy December competition schedule. Together, the Ski Cross and Cross-Country squads have established positive momentum heading into the northern winter.

Coming Up This Week

A big week of competition awaits across multiple disciplines:

• November 26-27: Snowboard Cross European Cup, Pitztal (AUT)
• November 27-28: Para Snowboard Banked Slalom World Cup, Landgraaf (NED)
• November 27-30: Snowboard and Freeski Big Air World Cup, Secret Garden (CHN)
• November 27-30: Alpine Skiing Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G World Cup, Copper Mountain (USA)
• November 28-30: Cross Country World Cup, Ruka (FIN)

Stay tuned to Snow Live for updates, results, and highlights as our athletes continue their push on the world stage.