FIS Grass Skiing World Cup 2026 Standings: Marcel Knapp and Eliška Rejchrtová Take Early Leads

The 2026 FIS Grass Skiing World Cup is officially underway, bringing high-speed carving to the summer slopes. With the snow melted across Europe's lower elevations, the world's top grass skiers have strapped on their wheeled treads to battle for the early lead in the overall standings. Following the opening giant slalom rounds in Neudorf, Germany, the leaderboards are already taking shape, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive July campaign.

On the men's side, German veteran Marcel Knapp has surged to the top of the overall standings. Capitalizing on his home-country advantage, the 30-year-old from SV Unterflockenbach secured a flawless 100 points in the opening giant slalom. Knapp, who has been competing on the FIS circuit since 2010 and famously builds his own skis, demonstrated the precise edge control required to dominate the irregular summer terrain.[1][2]

Chasing Knapp is Italy's Lorenzo Dante Marco Gritti, who sits in second place with 80 points. The 40-year-old Italian remains a formidable force on the World Cup circuit, utilizing his decades of experience to navigate the demanding courses. Austria's Sebastian Posch rounds out the early top three with 60 points, keeping the traditional Alpine nations firmly entrenched at the top of the leaderboard.

The chase pack remains tightly bunched just outside the podium positions. Valentin Lemp Pfannenstill of Austria currently holds fourth place with 50 points, while Italy's Nicolo Pettini sits in fifth with 45 points. The point spread guarantees that the upcoming July slalom and super-G events will heavily shuffle the rankings, as athletes who favor technical agility over pure giant-slalom speed get their chance to close the gap.

In the women's overall standings, the fierce rivalry between the Czech Republic and Austria continues to define the circuit. Czech standout Eliška Rejchrtová, a dominant force in recent seasons, has quickly established herself as the skier to beat. Her aggressive, low-to-the-ground carving style is perfectly suited to the high-friction nature of grass skiing, allowing her to carry maximum speed through the gates.

Austria's Lara Teynor and Emma Eberhardt are leading the charge to unseat the Czech powerhouse. Teynor, in particular, has shown the technical consistency needed to challenge for the overall globe. Alongside Sarka Abrahamova of the Czech Republic, the women's leaderboard is a localized battleground that highlights the deep developmental programs these two nations have built specifically for the summer discipline.

While grass skiing serves as a vital summer bridge for traditional alpine athletes, it is a punishing discipline in its own right. Launched as an official FIS circuit in 1979, the sport utilizes short skis equipped with rolling treads. Because the equipment does not allow for a traditional "snowplow" braking maneuver, athletes must carve sharply uphill to bleed speed—a technical requirement that severely punishes any loss of balance.

As the World Cup tour moves deeper into July, the athletes will face a grueling schedule of slalom, giant slalom, and super combined events across Central Europe. For leaders like Knapp and Rejchrtová, the challenge shifts from securing an early advantage to surviving the physical toll of the summer circuit. With the points margins razor-thin, the race for the 2026 Crystal Globes is only just beginning.