2026 Short Track World Championships: favorites, race time and official start lists

The 2026 Short Track World Championship will put the rainbow jerseys of XCC on the line this Thursday in Val di Sole. The men's and women's Elite races will bring together many of the top specialists in the discipline, with a World Cup that has so far seen Adrien Boichis and Sina Frei as the riders with the most victories of the season.

The XCC World Championship 2026 is decided this Thursday in Val di Sole

The MTB World Championship in Val di Sole is already underway, and this Thursday, August 27 will be the turn of Short Track, the most explosive discipline of the world program.

The day will start with the women's Elite race at 5:00 PM, while the men's Elite race will start at 5:45 PM. Two consecutive events to determine the new world champions of XCC.

Adrien Boichis is the favorite for the XCC World Championship 2026

If we take as a first reference what has happened so far in the World Cup, Adrien Boichis arrives as the man to beat. The Frenchman leads the overall standings of the discipline and, above all, has managed to turn his consistency into victories: he has three wins and four podiums.

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But he won't have it easy, and his rivals are in his own Selection. Luca Martin will be one of the strongest rivals, and although he has not yet won this season, he matches Boichis in the number of podiums. Mathis Azzaro, for his part, has accumulated two victories.

But a World Championship in a single race requires a much broader list of candidates. Victor Koretzky, although he has not competed all season and this will be his first race, is one of the names that must inevitably be considered due to his enormous quality in this discipline and for being the reigning double world champion of XCC, after winning the rainbow in 2024 and 2025. His form will be the main unknown after the humerus fracture that has affected much of his season.

We will also have to closely follow Christopher Blevins, Samuel Gaze, Filippo Colombo, and Alan Hatherly, experienced riders with enough level to compete for the top positions in a race of this nature. Alongside them are Riley, Lillo, Avondetto, and Aldridge, who have already shown this season that they can make it to the podium of a World Cup.

Who will finally not be at the start is Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman was initially registered and was expected to compete in the Short Track in Val di Sole, especially after his return to MTB in Les Gets, where he finished 10th in the XCC despite starting from very far back. However, Van der Poel has ultimately withdrawn from this event and will focus his efforts on the XCO on Sunday.

At the end of this preview, we leave the list of registered riders in the men's race available so far.

Favorites for the XCC World Championship 2026

The women's competition arrives with Sina Frei and Jenny Rissveds as the two most consistent riders on the podium during the 2026 World Cup. Both have finished in the top three four times, although the Swiss has the advantage in the number of victories.

Frei has three victories and leads the overall standings of the World Cup, while Rissveds has won twice. Savilia Blunk completes the group of riders who have managed to win a race this season, with one victory and three podiums.

However, the numbers of the World Cup do not tell the whole story among women. Puck Pieterse is one of the big names to watch in Val di Sole, as is Evie Richards, a rider particularly dangerous in Short Track due to her characteristics.

We must also count on Alessandra Keller, the reigning world champion, and Laura Stigger, both with two podiums this season, in addition to Ronja Blöchligner and Nicole Koller. They are joined by Samara Maxwell, who has returned to competition and has just shown in Les Gets that she is back to her best level. Isabella Holmgren and Candice Lill expand a list of candidates in which it is difficult to point out a single clear favorite.

Below we also leave the list of registered riders available so far for the women's race.

Complete start lists: XCC World Championship 2026

Official Men's Elite XCC World List 2026

Official Women's Elite XCC World List 2026