The 2026 FIM Snowcross World Championship kicked off today at Rize Handüzü Nature Park in northeastern Türkiye, close to the Black Sea coast. The opening round faced early weather problems, with poor visibility causing delays and red flags during the first Women’s race. Later in the day, conditions improved, allowing a full schedule of exciting races in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.
In the Men’s category, young Swedish rider Olle Sahlström (Ski-doo) won the first round overall thanks to consistent results, even though former world champion Aki Pihlaja of Finland (Lynx) won race two with a strong move on the opening lap.
The Women’s category was completely dominated by Sweden’s Wilma Jonsson on a Ski-doo. She enjoyed a perfect weekend, winning both qualifying heats and both main races, while holding off competition from Elise Jonsson.
Despite the rough start due to weather, fans witnessed thrilling Snowcross action and are now eagerly waiting for round two of the championship, which will take place on February 3 and 4.
In the men’s races, Sahlström impressed with speed and consistency, while Pihlaja showed great determination by fighting back from poor starts to remain a strong title contender. After the first round, Sahlström leads the championship by five points as the series continues in Türkiye this week.