Winter sports day with German highlights: Aicher wins Super-G, Wendl/Arlt take European Championship gold – strong signals from Ruhpolding

The winter sports Sunday (January 18, 2026) brings several top results from a German perspective: Emma Aicher wins the Super-G in Tarvisio, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt secure the European Championship title in the doubles in Oberhof – and in the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding, Franziska Preuß and Selina Grotian deliver results that carry weight with regard to Olympic qualification. In addition, there are podium finishes and close decisions in bobsleigh as well as further top placements in several disciplines.

Aicher wins in Tarvisio, Weidle-Winkelmann in the top eight

The most prominent alpine exclamation mark is set by Emma Aicher: The 22-year-old wins the Super-G in Tarvisio. Lindsey Vonn comes second with a gap of 0.37 seconds, third place goes to Ester Ledecka. From a German perspective, Kira Weidle-Winkelmann complements the result in eighth place.

The victory is more than an individual success: In the phase before the Winter Games, in the speed sector not only the placement counts, but also the confirmation that equipment, line choice, and risk management fit together under competition conditions. Aicher's success provides a clear indication of this – and at the same time shifts the internal German hierarchy towards a broader top option.

Wendl and Arlt reclaim the European Championship title – and consolidate their World Cup lead

In Oberhof, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt win the European Championship title in the doubles. For the duo, it is their fifth European Championship triumph and the first since 2019; behind them are Toni Eggert and Florian Müller. At the same time, Wendl/Arlt celebrate their 59th World Cup victory.

The success is also relevant in the overall picture: After six out of nine races, Wendl/Arlt lead the overall doubles standings with 466 points. Gatt/Schöpf follow with 384 points, Eggert/Müller are in fourth place with 359 points. In a season phase in which many processes are already oriented towards the Olympics, this consistency is a factor – not only for the title fight, but also for the signal effect within the German team.

Ruhpolding: Preuß seventh, Grotian meets Olympic standard – Nawrath with strong run time

In the women's biathlon pursuit in Ruhpolding, Franziska Preuß is the best German in seventh place. A better result is within reach up to the last shooting, but a penalty loop there takes away her chance for a top result. Selina Grotian finishes 13th and thus fulfills the second half of the Olympic standard. Julia Tannheimer comes 23rd, Sophia Schneider 26th.

Among the men, Philipp Nawrath is the best German in tenth place. Three penalty loops at the shooting range prevent a higher placement, but on the track he shows a strong race and runs the fourth fastest time. David Zobel follows in 15th place, Danilo Riethmüller is 25th.

Bobsleigh, Nordic Combined, Snowboard and more: Podiums and close margins

In the four-man bobsleigh in Altenberg, Johannes Lochner finishes second – 0.02 seconds behind winner Adam Ammour. Francesco Friedrich completes the German triple podium and is 0.15 seconds behind. The minimal gap underlines how much hundredths decide victory and placement this season – and how valuable flawless runs become when the density at the top increases.

In Nordic Combined, Julian Schmid provides a German podium as third in the World Cup return in Oberhof. Nathalie Armbruster is also third at her home event.

In snowboarding, Annika Morgan achieves a result as sixth in the Laax Open slopestyle that fulfills the Olympic standard after her injury break. Morgan had suffered a fracture of the third metacarpal bone during training at the beginning of December and had undergone surgery. In Bansko, Ramona Hofmeister finishes third in the parallel giant slalom, Yannik Angenend is fourth.

In alpine skiing, Linus Straßer finishes eleventh in the Wengen slalom; Atle Lie McGrath wins the race. In ski jumping in Sapporo, Karl Geiger is 14th and thus fulfills half of the Olympic standard; Domen Prevc wins again. Philipp Raimund is the best German on both days and takes 15th and ninth places.

Conclusion: Broad German yield – and several results with Olympic significance

Sunday bundles several “hard” indicators from a German perspective: World Cup victory, European Championship gold, podiums, close hundredth decisions – and results that have a direct impact on Olympic qualification. What stands out is less a single outlier, but rather the breadth: In several sports, German athletes simultaneously deliver results that promise stability and selection options for the hot phase of the season.