Christian Ahlmann’s Championship Chase: “The Chance Is There, So We Go for It”

Second in the standings without an LGCT Grand Prix win this season, Christian Ahlmann has built his title challenge on consistency. In Vienna, he delivered again, retaining second place as the 2026 Championship race intensified.

Christian Ahlmann arrived at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna with a clear opportunity: add to a remarkably consistent season and keep the pressure on Championship leader Abdel Saïd. He left still firmly in the fight, holding second place in the standings.

Before the Vienna stage, Ahlmann spoke to Off the Clock about his pursuit of a first LGCT Championship title and the partnership with Untouched that has helped put him in contention.

“I think I can overtake Abdel. Everything is possible,” he said. “But first of all, I have to look to myself, try to perform as well as possible, and then we check the ranking.”

Ahlmann’s challenge has been built without an LGCT Grand Prix victory this season. Instead, a steady run of strong results has kept him near the top of the table, with opportunities still remaining to improve his eight counting scores.

Untouched LB has played a central role in that campaign. The pair’s third-place LGCT Grand Prix finish in Monaco was their best of the season, achieved in one of the Tour’s most distinctive and demanding arenas. For Ahlmann, it was another sign of how far their partnership has come.

“Untouched has jumped better and better from show to show,” he said. “He’s quite new at this level, so there are many things we have had to learn as a team. But he has done a fantastic job.”

Monaco’s compact arena tested that progress. Ahlmann described building Untouched’s confidence through the warm-up and qualification rounds before finding that he could ask for more in the jump-off.

“From jump to jump, I had the feeling I could risk more and more,” he said. “He answered all the questions.”

Ahlmann believes there is more to come. While he and Untouched have found a reliable rhythm in LGCT Grand Prix rounds, he said they are still refining the speed needed in jump-offs. That leaves room for a breakthrough result in the final stages of the season.

Ahlmann’s position in the 2026 title race reflects a long history at the forefront of the Tour. He has stood on the LGCT Championship podium three times, including a runner-up finish in 2013, and has recorded 21 LGCT Grand Prix podiums and six wins. His most recent Grand Prix victory came in Paris in 2023.

For all those achievements, the Championship title remains the prize missing from his record.

“It would mean a lot to me to win the Championship,” he said. “I’ve had big wins and great seasons, but this is missing. This year is another chance. The way is still long, but the chance is there, so we go for it.”

Vienna presented a chance to protect that opportunity, and Ahlmann delivered, retaining second place in the standings. Thirteen years after finishing runner-up, he remains in pursuit of the title — with Untouched and a season of consistent performances giving him every reason to keep fighting.