In the individual races, the Swiss cross-country skiers are unable to shine as brilliantly as in the relay and sprint at their home World Cup in the Engadin. However, Jonas Baumann's twelfth place was a nice highlight.
26.01.2025, 18:15
26.01.2025, 18:27
SDA
The Upper Engadine presented itself from its best side at the end of the Cross-Country World Cup. Overnight snowfall had caused a lot of extra work for the trail groomers, but made for sugar-white TV pictures on the unusual World Cup distance course of just under 21 km from the start on Lake St. Moritz to the finish on Lake Silvaplana.
The Norwegians celebrated a six-fold victory in the men's race and a double victory in the women's race. However, at least one Swiss was also beaming with the sun at the finish. After finishing 8th in Les Rousses and 3rd with the mixed relay on Friday, Jonas Baumann was among the world leaders for the third time in a week. This also pleases his head coach Erik Braaten. "His last eight days have been great," enthused the Norwegian in an interview with Keystone-SDA. "If that continues towards the World Championships, it will be a great pleasure."
Now "mega satisfied" after disappointment
You have to know this: Baumann missed the start of the World Cup because he was not called up by the coaches. As Braaten explains, this had to do with last season's results. In order not to put additional pressure on training preparation, the selections were made on the basis of last year's performances. "I'm sure Jonas also understands that they weren't that great."
It was not intended to provoke Baumann. "But it allowed him to focus all his energy on training and not waste it on traveling," says Braaten. This is now paying off with some delay. The 12th place on Sunday in the Engadine in the mass start race in the skating technique should be rated even higher than the 8th place in France, because many top athletes were missing there - and the 34-year-old from Graubünden did not get up to speed in skating recently.
"It was very tough, the conditions weren't easy," said Baumann on SRF. "I definitely didn't expect such a good result, but now I'm super happy." The veteran from Splügen had also been battling illness during the week.
Start of the World Championship preparations
In the women's race, Nadine Fähndrich was the best Swiss athlete in 24th place after her disappointment in the quarter-finals of Saturday's sprint. After the highlight with the podium finish in the (non-Olympic) mixed relay, there were, as expected, no further top rankings in the distance race on Sunday. In the sprint, however, Valerio Grond just missed the podium in fourth place, while Janik Riebli and Alina Meier also reached the semi-finals.
In any case, the Swiss coaches drew a positive conclusion from the home World Cup. Preparations for the World Championships in Trondheim at the end of February have already begun. Some are still traveling to next weekend's World Cup in Aosta Valley, others are taking a break. Training camps in Davos and Norway will follow.
