Mixed World Championships

ÖSV ski cross youngsters come away empty-handed in Sweden

Magdalena Fritz finished ninth in the singles.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

From a sporting point of view, the Junior World Championships were not worth the trip for the red-white-red ski crossers. The ÖSV youngsters only played supporting roles at the title fights. Both in the individual races and in the team competition, other nations celebrated the medals.

In the individual events, the Canadians in particular came up trumps. Kaleb Barnum triumphed in the 17 to 21-year-old category ahead of his compatriot Nicholas Katrusiak. Bronze went to the German Till Hugenroth. With Tammo Heldmann, Jannik Sommerer and Sebastian Wild, three ÖSV youngsters made it into the final heats. However, all three finished in the round of 16, leaving them in 22nd, 27th and 29th place.

Canadian festival in Sweden
Gold also went to Canada in the young women's event. Emeline Bennett came out on top ahead of the German overall European Cup winner Veronika Redder and the 16-year-old Swede Uma Kruse Een. The two Austrians Magdalena Fritz and Leonie Lussnig, who had finished sixth and eighth respectively in the qualifiers, failed in the quarter-finals and finished ninth and eleventh in the final standings.

ÖSV teams only in supporting roles
And the final team competition on Monday also left the red-white-red junior team without a medal! While Team Germany 1 was able to celebrate gold, Canada 1 silver and USA 1 bronze, the ÖSV pairing of Fritz/Heldmann only managed fourth place in the small final, which meant eighth place in the final standings. Lussnig and Sommerer failed in the quarter-finals and were therefore ranked twelfth.