Celebrating the third and final day of the 2022 Skyrunning World Championships, where medals and world titles were the order of the day. Thirty-five countries participated in the events held in Ossola, Piedmont, Italy from 9-11 September, 2022.
Today’s race celebrated the SKY discipline, after Friday’s VERTICAL and yesterday’s SKYULTRA. The sum of the SKY and VERTICAL results award the Combined titles and medals. Overall, 27 medals were at stake with a record 10 countries taking a share. Italy, Spain and Japan head the list.
The lion’s share went to Switzerland’s Roberto Delorenzi, 25, who took home two gold medals – for the Sky and Combined titles. A multiple skyrunning champion, Delorenzi’s impressive CV began in the 2017 Youth Skyrunning World Championships, a bronze in the 2020 Skyrunning World Championships and winner of the first VK OPEN Championships last year. In May, he nailed the world’s fastest time on Mount Kilimanjaro.
He dominated today’s Veia SkyRace® which also hosted the 2019 Skyrunning European Championships. Set in Val Bognanco it features a technical 31 km and 2,600m vertical climb along paths, ridges and moraine. Summiting first at the highest point at 2,444m altitude, he fell on the downhill, but retiring wasn’t an option. “I knew I was more prepared for the SKY race than the VERTICAL and I was aiming for the Combined. This gold medal is incredible and I’m so happy!” The silver went to Frenchman Frédéric Tranchand and the bronze to Japan’s Ruy Ueda together with a silver in the Combined.
Denisa Dragomir from Romania conquered the women’s race. It was not her best time here after injury, but enough to be crowned SKY World Champion. In the lead to the summit, she was trailing Sweden’s Lina El Kott, when El Kott slowed down with stomach problems, Dragomir was free to push for the gold. “I am so thrilled by this result. I love this race so much. I’ve now won it six times, but this time is special. Not only because it gave me the World title, but also because I’ve been injured for a long time this year and being back to my best is already a victory.” El Kott persevered to cross the finish line in 10th position and was rewarded with a silver medal in the Combined category.
Spain’s Patricia Pineda, 2021 European Champion, took the silver and Italy’s Martina Cumerlato, the bronze, adding to Italy’s first place in the country ranking. Spain and Japan placed second and third.
In the Combined category, the women’s gold went to Barbora Macurova from the Czech Republic and the bronze, to Italian Chiara Giovando. The men’s bronze was awarded to American Joseph DeMoor after a surprise win in the VERTICAL – America’s first gold.
The official team athletes total 256, split almost equally across the three disciplines.
Thirty-five countries participated with official teams in this seventh edition of the Skyrunning World Championships: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA. Nine new countries participated for the first time: Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia and South Africa.
Marino Giacometti, International Skyrunning President, commented, “with 35 countries in the final ranking, ten of which took medals, the balance of these World Championships is more than positive. It’s been three days of epic skyrunning in these fantastic mountains which have transmitted the essence of this sport to the world.”
The events were organised by Ossola Skyrunning World Champs 22, specifically created to manage the 2022 Skyrunning World Championships. Italy’s Minister of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia, attended the final day.
Five International Skyrunning Referees were on duty at the three races and WADA anti-doping tests were carried out.
Results Skyrunning World Championships SKY
Men
Gold – Roberto Delorenzi (SUI) 2h51’13”
Silver – Frédéric Tranchand (FRA) 2h52’09”
Bronze – Ruy Ueda (JPN) 2h53’12”
Women
Gold – Denisa Dragomir (ROU) 3h29’51”
Silver – Patricia PIneda (ESP) 3h33’47”
Bronze – Martina Cumerlato (ITA) 3h35’58”
COMBINED (VERTICAL + SKY)
Men
Gold – Roberto Delorenzi (SUI)
Silver – Ruy Ueda (JPN)
Bronze – Joseph DeMoor (USA)
Women
Gold – Barbora Macurova (CZE)
Silver – Lina El Kott (SWE)
Bronze – Chiara Giovando (ITA)
COUNTRY RANKING
Gold – Italy (908 points)
Silver – Spain (800 points)
Bronze – Japan (688 points)
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