Ukrainian Luge Team Makes History with First-Ever Nations Cup Victory

Historic Win for Ukrainian Luge

According to Главком: For the first time ever, the Ukrainian luge team has clinched the overall Nations Cup title. This landmark achievement was secured at the final event of the 2025/26 season in Altenberg, Germany. In the men's singles, Andrii Mandzii earned a silver medal at the event, finishing just 0.208 seconds behind the leader, which was enough to win the overall Nations Cup for his discipline. Meanwhile, the duo of Danyil Martsinovskyi and Bohdan Babura delivered an outstanding performance, winning the two-man sled event and securing the overall Nations Cup victory in their category.

Upcoming World Cup Final and Olympic Recap

The final stage of the World Cup is scheduled for March 7-8, 2026, also in Altenberg. This event offers athletes a chance to solidify their standings, though the team's recent results already demonstrate a high level of preparation. The Nations Cup is a season-long team competition distinct from the individual World Cup, highlighting a nation's overall depth in the sport.

Separate from this success, the Ukrainian team concluded its participation at the 2026 Winter Olympics without winning a medal. Despite this, Ukrainian athletes secured eight top-ten finishes. Notable results included:

• Sixth place for Angelina Brykina, Oleksandr Okipniuk, and Dmytro Kotovskyi (freestyle skiing, aerials, mixed team);
• The luge relay team, which also finished in sixth place;
• Seventh place for Oleksandra Moh and Olena Stetskiv in women's doubles luge;
• Eighth place for the biathlon mixed relay team (Dmytro Pidruchnyi, Vitalii Mandzyn, Olena Horodna, Oleksandra Merkushyna);
• Ninth place for Oleksandra Merkushyna, Yuliia Dzhima, Khrystyna Dmytrenko, and Dariia Chalyk in the biathlon women's relay;
• Tenth place finishes in individual events by freestyle skier Kateryna Kotzar, aerial skier Oleksandr Okipniuk, and biathlete Vitalii Mandzyn in the mass start.

Thus, while the Olympic Games yielded no podium finishes, the Ukrainian luge team's historic Nations Cup victory stands as a powerful testament to their training and potential for future international success. This win could serve as a significant catalyst for developing luge in Ukraine, boosting youth interest, and attracting new sponsors and federation support to improve training conditions for upcoming competitions.