Friday, April 4, 2025 – Villars-sur-Ollon (Switzerland)
The penultimate stage of the ISMF World Cup delivered a spectacular Sprint race in Villars (SUI), marked by a dominant performance from the French team. Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet claimed impressive victories, just one week before the grand finale in Tromsø.
Harrop leads the way, emotional Italian comeback on the podium
In the women’s final, the six qualifiers were Emily Harrop (FRA), Margot Ravinel (FRA), Ana Alonso Rodriguez (ESP), Katia Mascherona (ITA), Giulia Murada (ITA) and Marianna Jagercikova (SVK).
Harrop opened with a strong pace right from the diamonds section, building a lead early on. Behind her, the battle was intense. Ana Alonso and Margot Ravinel pushed hard in the foot part, keeping the pressure high. The final transition before the downhill proved decisive, with the athletes arriving nearly side by side. In a tight finish, Italians Giulia Murada and Katia Mascherona managed to edge ahead and secure second and third places on the podium.
The Swiss team had a tough day, with no athletes reaching the final. Marianne Fatton received a penalty in the semi-final after crossing finish line with one pole missing, and Caroline Ulrich suffered a crash in the downhill.
“It’s a long season so it’s hard to maintain the right motivation until the end. I seem to enjoy it a lot and in every race I really feel like it’s a time to test things a little bit different and to learn a bit more. And I think that keeps me motivated and into it every time so I’m really happy.”
— Emily Harrop (FRA)
Top 5 – Women’s Sprint
1. Emily Harrop (FRA) – 02:57.0
2. Giulia Murada (ITA) – 03:07.7
3. Katia Mascherona (ITA) – 03:08.6
4. Margot Ravinel (FRA) – 03:10.1
5. Ana Alonso Rodriguez (ESP) – 03:15.6
Anselmet strikes his first Sprint win of the season
In the men’s race, the finalists were Thibault Anselmet (FRA), Maximilien Drion du Chapois (BEL), Jon Kistler (SUI), Iñigo Martinez de Albornoz (ESP), Nikita FILIPPOV (AIN) and Pablo Giner Dalmasso (FRA).
Drion set a lightning-fast pace off the line, followed closely by Anselmet and Kistler. However, the Belgian lost a few seconds during the transition to the running section, allowing Kistler to briefly take the lead.
But Drion, known for his trail running skills, managed to claw his way back to the front. Still, it was Anselmet who executed the final transition perfectly, seizing the lead and maintaining it through the downhill to claim his first Sprint victory of the season.
Kistler finished second in front of Drion.
Sprint World Cup leader Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP) did not advance past the semi-finals. His coach reported that he was sick, which impacted his performance.
Also worth noting, Robin Galindo (FRA) made his comeback after a major crash in Morgins. He missed the races in Schladming and Val Martello, and today he missed qualification for the heats by less than a second — a tough return for the talented French.
“Last year I finished 2nd, today I’m really happy with this win. It was hard, I was in good shape. I’m at the top on the overall World Cup but it’s good to have a win in the end. I’m really happy to go for the final in Tromsø next week. Let’s see if I’m able to win there again.”
— Thibault Anselmet (FRA)
Top 5 – Men’s Sprint
1. Thibault Anselmet (FRA) – 02:27.2
2. Jon Kistler (SUI) – 02:29.7
3. Maximilien Drion du Chapois (BEL) – 02:30.7
4. Iñigo Martinez de Albornoz (ESP) – 02:34.3
5.Nikita FILIPPOV (AIN) – 02:34.6
Links
– 🎥 Watch the LIVE replay
– 📸 More photos
– 🏆 Results and rankings
