The third set of medals at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Planica were awarded for the 10 km classic style individual start race. In the women's competition, the Swedish skier Evelina Crusell emerged as the top performer, defeating the standout of the championship, Gina Del Rio from Andorra, by 8.5 seconds. Del Rio, who already claimed gold in the sprint and bronze in the 20 km race, completed her collection of medals under the Ponca Mountains. Anniken Sand from Norway secured the bronze medal with a time lag of 23.4 seconds. This marks Sand's second medal in Planica after winning silver in the 20 km race. All four Slovenian skiers finished closely, crossing the finish line within less than half a minute of each other. Zala Zupan finished 51st, trailing the winner by 4:06 minutes, Lucija Medja followed with 6 seconds more, Tia Janežič secured 54th place with a lag of 4:22 minutes, and Živa Melihen finished 55th with a gap of 4:33 minutes.
Slovenian Zala Zupan, Photo: Borut Živulović/BOBO
In the men's competition over the 10 km distance, the Swedish skier Alvar Myhlback was in a class of his own, winning with a remarkable lead of 52.4 seconds ahead of the Swiss skier Isaiom Naeff. The bronze medal went to Norway's Mons Melbye, trailing by 56.8 seconds. Among the two Slovenian participants, Bor Petrovič finished faster, securing 48th place with a lag of just under three and a half minutes, while Jaka Marinko finished 78th with a lag of over six minutes.
Top 3 women's CC 10km, Photo: Borut Živulović/BOBO
Post-race statements:
Zala Zupan: "Today it was raining heavily, consequently, the descents were very icy. The tracks were icy as well, and I even fell once during the race. I'm very satisfied with the result, I felt good on the course."
Eva Sever Rus, Slovenian coach: "Congratulations to the girls for their fight. Zala and Živa skied superbly today, especially considering they are among the younger competitors in the category. Lucija is still feeling the effects of illness, and Tia had a tough day today. The course was salted, so it was quite icy. Today, the spotlight was on the competitors who are not afraid of ice."
