Two Top-10 Finishes to Open the Worldcup-Season
A successful start to the 2026 World Cup campaign for Thömus maxon: Vital Albin and Lars Forster secured eighth and ninth place respectively in the Short Track (XCC) race in YongPyong, both finishing inside the top ten. On the demanding new World Cup venue, the team once again confirmed its strong early-season form.
The opening World Cup Short Track race of the season took place in YongPyong, South Korea, at the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The new course, featuring steep climbs and tight descents with very limited overtaking opportunities, demanded both physical strength and tactical precision from the riders.
Vital Albin delivered an impressive performance from the outset, establishing himself early in the lead group. Lars Forster, meanwhile, fought his way forward after a difficult start and managed to bridge back to the front group in the closing stages.
Strong team result on selective course
The decisive move for victory only came on the final climb. At the front, Mathias Azzaro (FRA) claimed the win ahead of Simone Avondetto (ITA) and Dario Lillo (SUI), while Albin and Forster battled for further top positions.
Albin narrowly missed out in the sprint finish but still secured a strong eighth place. Forster crossed the line just seconds later in ninth.
“I felt very good throughout the entire race and was able to maintain strong positioning throughout. This result gives me great confidence heading into Sunday’s race,” said Albin at the finish.
Forster added: “My start wasn’t ideal, but afterwards I was able to steadily move forward. On the final climb, I was just missing that last bit of explosiveness.”
Focus shifts to the main race
Mathias Flückiger struggled with breathing difficulties on the dusty course and was unable to perform to his full potential. Alessandra Keller opted not to travel to Asia for the World Cup opener and is instead focusing her preparations in Europe for the upcoming World Cup rounds, particularly in Nové Město na Moravě.
Strong junior performance
In the U23 category, Nicolas Halter of Thömus Akros Youngstars also made a promising start to the weekend, securing an excellent fourth-place finish.