JWSC2019: Istomina and Lapierre dominate U23 10/15 km
Jan 23, 2019·Cross-Country
The fourth competition day of FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships at Lahti included U23 men's 15 kilometer cross country freestyle race. Number one was French Jules Lapierre with clear margin of 29,8 seconds.
Fight of the second place was really tight. Michal Novak from Czech Republic took the silver medal with margin of just 0,02 seconds ahead of the bronze medalist Ivan Yakimushkin from Russia.
France has started JWSC2019 in a strong way. French Jules Chappaztook a gold medal on Tuesday. Lapierre said to the press that this is the best way to start these World Championships. Lapierre will still take part in 30 kilometres race on Friday.
Silver medalist Novak was a little surprised of the result. He didn't expect so good race. Novak took the first medal for Czech Republic in these competitions. He thought that the track suited him very well. "I competed here last year in world cup and previous year", said Novak. Novak will still take part at least 30 kilometres on Friday.
The bronze medalist Yakimushkin thought that first two laps were really tough for him. "Sure I'm glad about the medal but still I'm far from my ideal condition but today I showed my best". Yakimushkin didn't yet know how his season continues.
U23 men’s next competition is on Friday. They compete medals on mass start 30 kilometer classic style race.
FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships continued today with cross country U23 ladies 10 kilometer freestyle competition. Mariya Istomina from Russia won the race with a margin of only two seconds before Finnish Eveliina Piippo.
"It was a really hard and tough race", Istomina told the press.
Piippo told the press that her tactic was to go first round pretty easy and give it all in on the second round. In her own words, instead of doing that, she started pretty fast but had enough power to keep the same pace all throughout the race.
Both girls will compete in Ulricehamn, Sweden in the World Cup and therefore will not compete again in the Junior World Championships this year.
Norwegian Tiril Udnes Weng was 29,6 seconds behind Istomina and took home the bronze medal. "The race was really tough. There were a lot of uphills in the course and I like the downhills best", Weng laughed at the press conference. U23 ladies will compete again on Friday when the race will be mass start 15 kilometer classic style.
