Cross-country skiing: a U23 world final for Ivan Essonnier
In the final stages of the men’s classic sprint at the U23 cross-country skiing world championships in Schilpario (Italy), Ivan Essonnier was in with a chance of a medal. Seventeenth in the qualifying round at the end of the morning, he then manoeuvred well in the quarter-finals and semi-finals to make his way through to the final.
In this final six-man battle, the Savoyard , who has twice finished on the podium in the FESA Cup this season, was no match for the Scandinavian favourites. Sixth in the final, Ivan Essonnier nevertheless put in a fine performance to kick off his week at the U23 World Championships.
Up front, victory came down to the final sprint and it was Sweden’s Anton Grahn who took the U23 world title in the classic sprint. The kingdom completed the double, with Maans Skoglund, winner of the qualifier, in second place.
Norway’s Joergen Schjoelberg is tanned, while the Czech Jiri Tuz and Germany’s Elias Keck follow in the rankings ahead of Ivan Essonnier. Earlier in the tournament, Victor Cullet Calderini was knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Full results
- The full programme for the Junior and U23 World Championships in Schilpario from 3 to 9 February
- Schilpario: Iselin Bjervig Drivenes dominates qualifying for the classic sprint at the World Junior Championships, all the French women in the quarter-finals
- Schilpario: Filip Skari qualifies for the classic sprint at the Junior Worlds, Quentin Viguier is the only Frenchman to qualify
- Schilpario: Malin Hoelsveen takes the world title in the junior classic sprint ahead of two other Norwegians, Annette Coupat stops in the semi-finals
- Schilpario: Filip Skari becomes world junior classic sprint champion
- Schilpario U23 World Championships: Julie Pierrel, Justine Gaillard, Léonie Besson and Clémence Didierlaurent pass the classic sprint qualifying round
- Schilpario: Ivan Essonnier and Victor Cullet Calderini qualify for the quarter-finals of the classic sprint at the U23 World Championships
- Schilpario: Maerta Rosenberg becomes U23 world champion in the classic sprint, while France remain stuck in the quarter-finals
