Saturday, February 2, 2025 – Boí Taüll (Spain) – The Swiss duo, Caroline Ulrich and Thomas Bussard, delivered a stunning performance to claim victory in the second Mixed Relay of the season, edging out Spain and Austria in a thrilling finish.
They were a total of 51 teams representing 24 different nations at the start of this 2nd Mixed Relay of the season in Boí Taüll.
Rules
To qualify for the final A, a team composed of one man and one woman from the same country must secure one of the 12 best combined times (with a limit of one team per nation). The final consists of four laps, each completed twice by the athletes, lasting approximately 6 to 8 minutes per lap.
Qualified teams for Final A:
- ITA Giulia MURADA / Nicolo CANCLINI
- SUI Caroline ULRICH / Thomas BUSSARD
- AUT Johanna HIEMER / Paul VERBNJAK
- FRA Célia PÉRILLAT-PESSEY / Thibault ANSELMET
- CHN Yuzhen CIDAN / Luer BU
- POL Iwona JANUSZYK / Jan ELANTKOWSKI
- ESP Ana ALONSO RODRIGUEZ / Oriol CARDONA COLL
- GER Tatjana PALLER / Finn HÖSCH
- NOR Ida WALDAL / Dalset LODOEN TRYM
- CAN Kylee TOTH / Aaron ROBSON
- SLO Rea KOLBL / Klemen SPANRING
- USA Jessie YOUNG / Cameron SMITH
Key takeaways from Final A:
Final A began at 11:23 AM, with the women starting the first lap.
Swiss athlete Caroline Ulrich made the bold choice to lead from the start and successfully passed the first handover to her teammate Thomas Bussard in first place. Behind them, Austrian Johanna Hiemer handed the baton to her teammate Paul Verbnjak in second place, closely followed by the Spanish team with Ana Alonso Rodriguez and Oriol Cardona Coll, as well as the French duo Célia Périllat-Pessey and Thibault Anselmet, and the Italian team with Giulia Murada and Nicolo Canclini.
After the second lap completed by the men, Thomas Bussard managed to maintain the lead. Right behind, Oriol Cardona Coll moved into second position, with Paul Verbnjak and Thibault Anselmet battling closely for the podium spots.
In the third lap, Johanna Hiemer fought her way up the ranks and passed the handover to her teammate Paul Verbnjak in second position. The Spanish team started the final leg in third, with the French team still hot on their heels.
The suspense was palpable. In the end, Thomas Bussard held his ground and brought victory home for Switzerland! This result marks the first Mixed Relay World Cup victory for Thomas Bussard, accompanied by his teammate Caroline Ulrich—a promising result ahead of the World Championships, which will take place in his home country in Morgins from March 2-8, 2025.
Just behind the winners, the race for second place was nothing short of thrilling. As Paul Verbnjak started the final downhill in the lead, his Spanish rival Oriol Cardona Coll managed to overtake him in the last corner, much to the delight of the Spanish supporters. The Spanish team thus secured second place on the podium, while the Austrian team finished third.
Next World Cup: ISMF World Cup MICO 2026 test event
On February 22 and 23, a crucial milestone on the road to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics will take place. This special World Cup event will offer athletes a unique opportunity to compete on the venue of the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games.
On the program for these test events: a Sprint and a Mixed Relay, the two disciplines of SkiMo making their debut at the Olympic Games!
