Molly Butler and Christoph Meissl Claim 2026 Australia New Zealand Cup Overall Titles in Weather-Shortened Finale

Ski racing is back, and the Southern Hemisphere just delivered a brutal, beautiful reminder of what it takes to survive the Continental Cup circuit. On September 8, the 2026 Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) alpine season slammed to a halt at Coronet Peak, New Zealand, crowning Great Britain’s Molly Butler and Austria’s Christoph Meissl as its overall champions.[1][2]

The stakes down south are massive. The ANC is the final battleground for international athletes to stockpile Continental Cup points before the Northern Hemisphere winter begins. Those points dictate start lists for the upcoming FIS World Cup season—and with the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics looming, every bib number matters.[3]

But this season, the biggest opponent wasn't the clock; it was the sky. "Weather shaped the series from beginning to end," reported Ski Racing Media. A lack of snow wiped out the entire Australian leg scheduled for Thredbo. When the circuit shifted to New Zealand, Mount Hutt lost two giant slaloms to the elements. By the time the tour reached Coronet Peak for the September 6-8 finale, organizers were fighting a war of attrition against sleet, poor visibility, and wind holds that suddenly gave way to intense sunshine.[1][5]

Through the chaos, the 20-year-old Butler was an absolute machine. The British rising star captured the women’s overall crown with 350 points, clearing Switzerland’s Amelie Klopfenstein by a massive 112-point margin. Butler didn't just survive the variable surfaces; she thrived on them, reaching the podium in all three women's races at Mt Hutt and securing the slalom discipline title with 220 points.[1][3][6]

On the men's side, 26-year-old Austrian Christoph Meissl held his nerve to take the overall title. Meissl laid the foundation for his championship with an opening slalom victory at Mt Hutt, using an early start number to carve through deteriorating conditions. At Coronet Peak, he backed it up with a crucial second-place finish in the slalom, banking enough points to lock out the rest of the field.[2][4][6]

The abbreviated five-race finale at Coronet Peak also showcased serious World Cup pedigree. Canadian veteran Amelia Smart, 28, put on a clinic in the opening women's slalom. Smart laid down a combined time of 1 minute, 33.78 seconds, edging out Australia's Madison Hoffman by 0.31 seconds. Butler finished third in that race, 0.74 seconds off the pace.[1][2]

The men's slalom at Coronet Peak belonged to the next generation. Great Britain’s Freddy Carrick-Smith, the reigning junior world silver medalist, "dominated the race, building a substantial lead in the first run before retaining a 48-hundredths advantage over Austria's Christoph Meissl," according to Neveitalia.[2]

The giant slalom events at Coronet Peak saw their own fierce battles before the weather closed in. Canadian Arianne Forget dominated the women's GS, clocking a 19.57 FIS point result to take the win, while Lithuania's Andrej Drukarov and Norway's Storm Andre Hagen split the men's GS victories. Forget's win vaulted her to seventh in the overall standings with 150 points, proving how quickly a single dominant run can reshape the Continental Cup leaderboard.[1][2]

The home snow advantage also paid dividends for the local talent fighting for Continental Cup positioning. Australia's Madison Hoffman and Henry Heaydon secured the Australasian yellow bibs in slalom, while New Zealand's Alaska Speedy and Australia's Hugh McAdam took the honors in giant slalom. Speedy nearly crashed the overall podium at Coronet Peak, delivering a standout sixth-place finish in the women's GS against a heavy international field.[1]

With the yellow bibs handed out and the Southern Hemisphere snow melting, the elite alpine circus now packs its bags for Europe and North America. Butler and Meissl have their Continental Cup titles and the crucial FIS points that come with them. The countdown to the 2026-27 World Cup season is officially on.[1][4]