Cross-country skiing : Léonie Perry at the flower ceremony
AfterEinar Hedegart ‘s victory in the morning, the cross-country skiers took to the start line this Sunday for the individual skate race that concludes the third stage of the cross-country skiing world cup, held in Davos (Switzerland).
The track in Graubünden continues to prove popular with French cross-country skiers.After Lucas Chanavat ‘s victory in the skate sprint on Saturday, Bressaude Léonie Perry, back from illness, shone in the10km individual skate.
Starting with bib 13, the Vosges native got off to a strong start, ranking second at the first interval. At the halfway stage, the 21-year-old cross-country skier was in fourth place, just 3.8 seconds behind the leader. Still setting a good pace on the second lap, she clung on to Finland’s Vilma Ryytty, then in her first loop, at the top of the circuit’s long bump.
After a strong finish, Léonie Perry temporarily took the lead at the finish and settled into the leader’s seat, before finally finishing in a very solid sixth place, just 15.9 seconds behind the winner, Karoline Simpson-Larsen.
“I’m so happy. I started in the first bibs, at the intermediates they told me it was good but it was hard because the best didn’t start. I did what I could right up to the line and I’m so happy that the top 6 held up. Knowing that the win is only 15 seconds away is even more motivating for the rest of the race. I’ve got my teeth into it and I can’t wait to defend some great French places,” she smiled to the FFS. I hope to do even better than that. With number 13, it was either the carpet or the right race, so fortunately I didn’t go and kiss the carpet (laughs). I still hope to beat that record.
This isthe best World Cup result of her career, her previous record being twenty-first place in the individual skate race in Les Rousses (Jura) last winter. Léonie Perry also joins the very select circle – now five – of French cross-country skiers to have reached the top 6 in a World Cup 10-kilometre race, after Sophie Villeneuve, Karine Laurent Philippot, Delphine Claudel and Flora Dolci.
Up front, victory came down to the wire and it was finally Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen who claimed her first World Cup victory. Her best result to date was sixth place in the mass-start skate race in Ruka (Finland) at the end of November. She follows in the footsteps of her partner, biathlete Johan-Olav Botn, who also scored his first World Cup win this winter.
Sweden’s Moa Ilar took second place at just 2.1 seconds, one hundredth ahead of Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind, who claimed her first podium of the winter. Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist finished fourth, six seconds behind the winner, while American Jessie Diggins rounded off the top five at 10.3 seconds.
In the rest of the top 10, Léonie Perry from Bresse was sixth, ahead of Norway’s Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs in seventh. The young German Helen Hoffmann took eighth place, the best result of her World Cup career, while Finland’s Vilma Ryytty, in ninth, also achieved her best-ever ranking. Germany’s Pia Fink rounded off the top 10.
By contrast, the race was trickier for the other Tricolores: Juliette Ducordeau finished 41st, Margot Tirloy, making her first World Cup start, 43rd, Clémence Didierlaurent 45th, Heidi Convard – also making her first World Cup start – 47th, and Mélissa Gal51st.
Full results
2026CC2227RLThe overall distance ranking
2026CC2227WCDIThe overall World Cup standings
2026CC2227WCOVRead also
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