Cross-country success for youngsters
Sensational Swiss duo gets next podium
Janik Riebli (24) and Valerio Grond (22) are on the World Cup podium with their skating skis in the team sprint in Livigno. The duo is third behind France and hosts Italy.
Published: 18 minutes ago
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Janik Riebli (left) and Valerio Grond celebrate their podium finish in the team sprint in Livigno.
The final runner Grond made up a few places on the long, slightly uphill home straight and only had to let the two top sprinters Richard Jouve and Federico Pellegrino go. Grond had taken over from Riebli in second place and initially fell back slightly. The two runners each reeled off three times 1.2 km.
Obwaldner Riebli, third in the sprint on Saturday, and Bündner Grond, also a finalist the day before, are only the second Swiss men’s duo to make it onto the podium in this discipline. Jovian Hediger and Roman Furger made their debut in the team sprint, which has been held in the World Cup since 1995/1996, two years ago in Ulricehamn.
Favorite Norway disappointed
Riebli, 24, and Grond, 22, have hinted at their progress on several occasions this winter. Before the coup on Saturday in December, Riebli had already advanced to the semi-finals in Davos and Val Müstair. Grond even showed up in both running techniques in the knockout rounds.
In Livigno they took advantage of the moment. The Norwegians were among the defeated on several occasions: Johannes Hösflot Klaebo and Paal Golberg were without, Even Northug and Erik Valnes got stuck in the qualification and in the final the only remaining team complained of a broken stick.
In the women’s race, Lea Fischer and Alina Meier took eighth place in the double victory of Sweden I and Sweden II. (SDA)