Mystique Ro opened the Olympic year with another statement performance, earning silver at the IBSF Women’s Skeleton World Cup in Winterberg in what marked the fifth of seven stops. Ro led the field after the first heat with the fastest opening run and remained in contention throughout, ultimately finishing 2nd with a time of 2 minutes, 0.60 seconds — just 0.38 off the win.

“Today was just let it run, let it fly and shake off the first four races of the season,” Ro said.

Austria’s Janine Flock, the defending World Cup champion, surged to victory with the fastest second run of the day to claim her second win of the season and become the first World Cup winner of 2026. 

“The weather was really wild today. But I'm happy with my performance,” Flock said.

Czech racer Anna Fernstadt completed the podium in 3rd, while Italy’s Valentina Margaglio recorded her best World Cup result in nearly two years with a 4th-place finish — her strongest showing since winning in St. Moritz in January 2024. Germany’s Jacqueline Pfeifer and Great Britain’s Freya Tarbit rounded out the top six on a challenging day marked by snowy, unsettled conditions.

Ro’s silver continued a strong stretch for the American program. Kendall Wesenberg finished 10th after staying inside the top group through both heats, while Kelly Curtis placed 11th with a clean and controlled second run. Sara Roderick ended the day in 25th, gaining valuable experience on one of the circuit’s most technically demanding tracks.

The result also reshaped the World Cup standings. With her Winterberg victory, Flock moved into the overall lead with 1,034 points, edging past Belgium’s Kim Meylemans, while Pfeifer now sits 3rd as the season heads toward its final two races before the Winter Olympics. Despite narrowly missing the win, Ro struck an optimistic tone afterward, calling the race “a great start to the Olympic year,” as the U.S. women continue to build momentum heading deeper into the World Cup season and toward the Olympic Winter Games in February.

The men's and mixed team events were cancelled due to bad weather conditions.