The Grand Finale of the VK OPEN World Cup was held at the Beinhoat das Vertical in Dorfgastein, Salzburg, Austria, on Saturday, October 17, 2026. It was the first time Austria hosted the final.
Frenchman Louis Dumas and Irina Chernova, Individual Neutral Athlete, were crowned 2026 VK OPEN World Cup Champions.
Celebrating the 13th edition, Austria’s steepest vertical race, climbs under the cable car to the Fulseck mountain station over 3.3 km with 1,200m of vertical climb.
Austria dominated the men’s race. Christof Hochenwarter crossed the finish line first in 39’33”, followed by compatriots Paul Verbnjak in 40’20” and Nils Oberauer in 40’59”.
Louis Dumas, 2024 VK OPEN Champion, finished fourth, just 35 seconds off the podium – enough to secure first place in the overall VK OPEN World Cup ranking with 332 points. Zak Hanna from Ireland, eighth in the race, took second place in the final ranking with 292 points. Vitalii Chernov (AIN), eleventh at the finish, completed the podium with 264 points.
Dumas commented, “The course was great – everything you would expect from a steep and brutal one! My shape was not the best-ever, but I’m very happy to have been able to battle so close to the podium and have such positive feelings! Obviously, I’m very grateful for being the VK OPEN Champion once again, after a really great season.
Just four points off the podium, Valentin Alemany from France and Suguru Inui from Japan with 260 points each. Inui, who was ranked second before the Grand Finale, literally crossed half the world in the VK OPEN World Cup to take points at the Minotaur VK in Canada and at the Whiteface VK in the USA, while Dumas was pleased to be able to participate closer to home. “This season even showed me that one can perform in such a great circuit without traveling far!” he commented.
In the women’s race, Sophia Reuss from Germany won in 48’16”, ahead of her compatriot Evi Gudelius, second in 49’55”. Sladjana Zagorac from Serbia, the 2025 champion, was third in 51’59”, which placed her second in the final ranking with 334 points.
Fourth at the finish was Irina Chernova (AIN). Her two victories during the season were decisive – she took the VK OPEN World Cup title with 344 points, just 10 points ahead of Zagorac.
Chernova gave it her all. The VK OPEN title was her dream, and she has been chasing it all season. “This is my first year competing internationally and every result means a lot to me. The course is really exciting and interesting, and the mountains are beautiful. I didn’t particularly like the flatter section in the middle though—that’s where I started running out of energy. Overall, I’d love to do more races like this. A big thank you to the organisers, the supporters, the ISF and the girls I was competing with.”
Beinhoat das Vertical organiser, Sibylle Schild, commented, “With perfect weather conditions, 335 starters (only 4 DNF) showed incredible performances on the steepest track of the VK OPEN World Cup.”
Overall, the VK OPEN World Cup consisted of nine races in seven countries across four continents. The sixth VK OPEN World Championships was renamed VK OPEN World Cup for the 2026 edition which kicked off in Madeira, Portugal, on March 7 and went on to Andorra, Japan, Canada, the USA and Colombia before closing in Austria. 329 athletes from 21 countries scored points in the final ranking*.
Marino Giacometti, ISF President, concluded, “Yet again, another VK OPEN takes to the sky and athletes from around the world participated in a circuit that crosses the globe from East to West. It’s true it’s an uphill slog – but that’s where the fun lies and why this discipline has become so popular!”
*The ranking counts a maximum of three results: two races plus the Grand Finale, where double points are assigned. The top 40 finishers in the Finale score points.
VK OPEN World Cup final ranking
MEN
1. Louis Dumas (FRA) 332 points
2. Zak Hanna (IRL) 292 points
3. Vitalii Chernov (AIN) 264 points
4. Valentin Alemany (FRA) 260 points
5. Suguru Inui (JPN) 260 points
WOMEN
1. Irina Chernova (AIN) 344 points
2. Sladjana Zagorac (SRB) 334 points
Beinhoat das Vertical race results
MEN
1. Christof Hochenwarter (AUT) 39’33”
2. Paul Verbnjak (AUT) 40’20”
3. Nils Oberauer (AUT) 40’59”
4. Louis Dumas (FRA) 41’34”
6. Alemany Valentin (FRA) 42’24”
8. Zak Hanna (IRL) 44’30”
11. Vitalii Chernov (AIN) 45’10”
WOMEN
1. Sophia Reuss (GER) 48’16”
2. Evi Gudelius (GER) 49’55”
3. Sladjana Zagorac (SRB) 51’59”
4. Irina Chernova (AIN) 53’16”
5. Teresa Feix (AUT) 57’27”
2026 VK OPEN World Cup calendar
2026 VK OPEN World Cup ranking
Race website
Full race results
