| The Austrian resort of Soelden hosted the return of the alpine skiers this past weekend as the 2025/26 FIS World Cup action got underway with another victory for Swiss all-round sensation Marco Odermatt, who is one of 10 stars across the winter sports disciplines out to prove a point this season. MARCO ODERMATT (SWITZERLAND) Odermatt put down his marker with his first giant slalom win of the new 2025/26 season in Soelden as he looks to win a 10th separate discipline title since 2022 across GS, Super G and downhill. Not only that, the 28-year-old can make it five overall titles in a row – a feat that would take him level with Luxembourg legend Marc Girardelli and leave him three behind Austrian overall king Marcel Hirscher. JAMES CRAWFORD (CANADA) Even though Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen is the name on many people’s lips when it comes to the alpine speed disciplines, Canadian Crawford has been a slow burn success over the last few years. After becoming the 2023 Super-G world champion and claiming four World Cup podiums across 2022 and 2023, he finally mounted the top step of the podium with a famous Kitzbühel downhill win back in January. LUCAS PINHEIRO BRAATHEN (BRAZIL) One of the most popular characters on the circuit thanks to his fun social media posts, Braathen earned five podium finishes last season and looks set to impress again. With two GS and three slalom World Cup victories to his name, the 25-year-old will wear the colours of his mother’s country as he goes up against top talent like Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen, Swiss Loïc Meillard and Frenchman Clément Noël. EMMA AICHER (GERMANY) The Olympic and World Championship team event medallist finished last season like a train, the 21-year-old securing a downhill second and then maiden win over two days in Kvitfjell then a first Super-G win two weeks later in La Thuile. The Swedish-born racer can ski across all the disciplines up against stars such as Italian Sofia Goggia, Czech Ester Ledecká, Kiwi Alice Robinson and Albanian Lara Colturi. MATHILDE GREMAUD (SWITZERLAND) Swiss star Gremaud was the first-ever female athlete to successfully land a Switch Double Cork 1440 and she has compiled a career record to envy across freestyle big air and slopestyle. The 25-year-old from Fribourg is already an Olympic and two-time world champion in slopestyle, while she has also enjoyed big air success at the Winter X Games so expect her to take it to China’s Eileen Gu and France’s Tess Ledeux this season. MATEJ SVANCER (AUSTRIA) Austrian freeskier Švancer was just 15 when he first landed a major title and he shows no sign of stopping. Despite a heel injury that kept him out of the final Slopestyle event in Tignes, he secured enough points to win the overall 2024/25 Park & Pipe World Cup title – the first Austrian to claim this prestigious honour. Expect him to go hard again up against American Mac Forehand this season. ALEXANDRIA LOUTITT (CANADA) Ski jumping has proved a thrilling affair across both the men’s and women’s events in recent years with Canadian Loutitt following up her 2022 Olympic mixed team bronze with 2023 world gold at Planica in the individual large hill. After finishing third overall two seasons ago, she will be looking to soar back from 10th position in the FIS World Cup last season up against four-time World Cup champion Sara Takanashi. MARCUS KLEVELAND (NORWAY) Norwegian snowboarder Kleveland has been cleaning up on the senior circuit since 2017, the Lillehammer native racking up two world titles in slopestyle as well as eight Winter X Games golds in big air, knuckle huck and slopestyle. The first ever to complete a quad cork 1800 in competition, the 26-year-old – who recovered from shattering his knee “into a lot of pieces” in 2018 – is out to shine again. MITSUKI ONO (JAPAN) Known for her massive spins and clean style, Japanese snowboarder Ono has been thrilling fans on the global halfpipe scene since 2019. After adapting to the senior scene following an impressive junior career, the 21-year-old has picked up FIS World Cup podium finishes for fun the last four years. She will be looking to bounce back from an indifferent season last time out against reigning champion Maddie Mastro. MANON LOSCHI (FRANCE) French freerider Loschi proved she was one to watch in 2024 as she earned three podium places on the Freeride World Tour, then banked first place at the inaugural 2025 YETI Natural Selection Ski event in Alaska to become the first-ever Natural Selection Tour Ski women’s champion. She will be keen to climb the Freeride World Tour rankings again this season alongside Italian veteran Arianna Tricomi. | 
