Saturday, February 1, 2025 – Boí Taüll (Spain) – This morning’s Sprint race saw intense battles.
Spain shined on home soil, with strong performances from France and Switzerland too. We’re starting to see which nations are in a good position to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games of Milano-Cortina!
Key takeaways from Women’s Sprint Race
There were 58 athletes at the start. After the time-trial qualification phase, the best athletes faced off in the heats and then the semi-finals.
Some top contenders, including Margot Ravinel and Johanna Hiemer, were left out of the final.
The final featured three French athletes—Emily Harrop, Célia Périllat-Pessey, and Lenna Bonnel—alongside Spain’s Ana Alonso Rodriguez and two Swiss competitors, Marianne Fatton and Caroline Ulrich.
Emily Harrop left no chance for her rivals! She secured a commanding victory, crossing the line thirteen seconds ahead of her compatriot Lenna Bonnel. Spain’s Ana Alonso Rodriguez completed the podium in third place.
Key takeaways from Men’s Sprint Race
On the men’s side, 85 athletes lined up at the start. With such a high level of competition, the tension was palpable from the qualification rounds, with semi-finals that felt like finals.
The semi-finals saw several favorites eliminated, including Thibault Anselmet, Maximilien Drion, and Nicolo Canclini.
The final featured three Spanish athletes—Oriol Cardonna Coll, Ot Ferrer, and Iñigo Martinez de Albornoz —alongside Swiss athletes Robin Bussard and Arno Lietha, and France’s Pablo Giner Dalmasso.
Oriol Cardonna Coll made his move from the uphill and maintained his lead on the downhill to secure victory. Just behind him, Switzerland’s Robin Bussard and Arno Lietha completed the podium.
