Cross-country skiing: Annette Coupat couldn’t keep up the pace in the last lap
On Wednesday morning, the women’s 20km mass-start classic at the world junior cross-country skiing championships in Schilpario (Italy) provided a great spectacle. Above all, for France, this race was synonymous with medal hopes. It’s worth noting that, when a group of around ten runners took off, Annette Coupat from Forézienne and Margot Tirloy from Cluse were among them.
Gradually, some units lost contact and the group was reduced to five cross-country skiers: the two French, Canada’s Alison Mackie and Norway’s Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen and Hanna Engesæter Soerbye.
At the end of the third lap of the five, it was Margot Tirloy’s turn not to be able to keep up with the pace. The Haut-Savoyard finally finished in eighth place, overtaken by Beatrice Laurent, Ingeborg Synstnes Hole and Olivia Puranen.
Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen, as expected
At the start of the final loop, Annette Coupat in turn lost the skis of the leading trio. The cross-country skier from Le Bessat Sport d’Hiver was fourth at the finish after having long hoped for a place on the podium.
Victory went to Norwegian favourite Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen ahead of her compatriot Hanna Engesæter Soerbye, who suffered a broken stick in the final kilometres. Finally, Canada’s Alison Mackie took bronze.
Among the other French riders, Ariane Pignot finished twenty-second and Agathe Margreither thirty-second.
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
- Schilpario: Anton Grahn takes the U23 world title in the classic sprint, Ivan Essonnier sixth in the final
- Schilpario: a look back at the golden day for Sweden’s Maerta Rosenberg and Anton Grahn in the classic sprints at the U23 World Championships
