Pepene made the historical victory for Roumania on the 15 km + 15km long course in a time of 1:25:45h. He finished clearly 24,5 seconds ahead of Ole Marius Bach from Norway, who was the strongest in the finish sprint for place two. Third place went to the home favourite and native from Black Forest Andreas Katz, who finished 25,9 seconds behind the winner.

Pepene stayed the race in the main field until around km 19 where he was attacking and making the gap to this strongest competitiors Bach, Katz and Yoshida (JPN). At km 26km Pepene had already a gap of 30 seconds to the chasing group.

For Pepene the U23 World Champion title is the biggest success after winning in this year a Continentalcup race of the OPA series in Alta Badia (ITA).

Slind took the victory on the demanding 7,5 km + 7,5 km course at Notschrei in a time of 44:47 min, just 8,1 seconds ahead of her team mate Hilde Lauvhaug. The last spot on the podium took Svetlana Nikolaeva.

It was a tight race. Until the last part of the free technique 9 racers where within 10 seconds. Slind searched the decision on the last kilometers and was able to take her first U23 World Champion title while her team mate Hilde Lauvhaug made her first podium at the U23 World Championships in her first senior year.

FIScrosscountry.com
Saturday 30 January 2010

WJC-L: Gold for Italy

Italian Elena Runggaldier surprisingly won the women's skijumping competition at the Junior World Championships in Hinterzarten and is now the new World Champion. She laid the foundation for this victory with a 106.5 m jump in the first round. In the final she showed a jump of 102 m and won with 267.5 points ahead of only 14-year-old French Coline Mattel (258.0 points). The bronze medal went to US-American Sarah Hendrickson (249.5 points).

This was already the second medal for the Italian team, after Diego Dellasega won Bronze in the men's competition. And again no German athlete could be on the podium. All of them, Carina Vogt (5th), Juliane Seyfarth (7th), Anna Rupprecht (9th) and Melanie Faisst (11th), showed a good competition, but Gold, Silver and Bronze is what counts at World Championships.

Athletes from eight nations in the Top Ten

Swiss Bigna Windmueller was fourth, but clearly missed the bronze medal. Just like in training, Jacqueline Seifriedsberger was the best Austrian. She finished sixth.

With Sara Takanashi (JPN) as eighth and Slovenian Eva Logar jumpers from eight nations were in the Top Ten. This proves the good work that is done in the various teams.

FISskijumping.com
30.01.2010 12:53