Sweden swept the board with Tove Alexandersson taking all three gold medals at stake and Martin Nilsson clinching a gold and a silver at the SkySnow World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, March 8-9, 2024.
With rain below and snow above, the conditions for the weekend’s two events were challenging for the 22 countries participating in this second edition of the SkySnow World Championships, the new skyrunning discipline of running on snow at altitude wearing micro-crampons.
Italy took second place in the medal count thanks to Luca Del Pero, 2022 SkySnow World Champion, and newcomer Germany, took home four silvers. The country ranking, based on team points, is headed by Italy, Germany and Spain.
Overall, twenty-one medals were awarded as well as World Titles for the VERTICAL, CLASSIC and COMBINED categories.
Tove Alexandersson, 2018 Skyrunning World Champion and multiple gold medallist in orienteering, came into Friday’s VERTICAL race a complete novice, to take the women’s gold at the summit of the Vertical Monte Lussari, a lung-busting 974m vertical climb up a 3.6 km ski run. Never having raced a Vertical Kilometer® on snow before, this phenomenal female medal collector blew away the competition to take one at her first attempt.
Her strength prevailed in Saturday’s CLASSIC discipline – the Monte Mangart Winter Trail – a spectacular figure-of-eight around the Fusine lakes – 16.5 km long with 515m vertical climb reaching 1,391m altitude. Here, once more, she crossed the finish line first to take another gold.
The men’s winner at the VERTICAL was local runner Tadei Pivk, no stranger to wins, medals and records, he powered up the super-steep course to take the gold.
The race kicked off at dusk where athletes immediately faced a steep wall, lighting up the swirling snowflakes with their headlamps. The last stage to the 1,786m summit passed through a tiny, picturesque hamlet conveying a magical fairy-tale atmosphere.
Martin Nilsson, the winner in the CLASSIC, was more than thrilled with his success and that of his country on taking so many medals. “I dreamt that Sweden would have two golds today with Tove and me, but I never believed it could become a reality. It’s really utopia – a dream come true!”
Germany’s four silver medals were thanks to Madlen Kappler – in the VERTICAL in the CLASSIC, in the COMBINED and, for her country.
The stunning location of the events, bordering on Austria and Slovenia in the Udine Province, lies in an amphitheatre surrounded by the Julian Alps, known for its cold climate – and a guarantee of the principal element of this discipline – snow.
No less than 14 world medallists took part from across the globe, with teams from as far as Japan and Brazil to affirm this new skyrunning discipline – SkySnow – on a world-class level and a next, potential, Olympic sport.
SKYSNOW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS VERTICAL
Vertical Monte Lussari race results
Men
Gold – Tadei Pivk (ITA) – 36’04″
Silver – Diego Diaz (ESP) – 36’54”
Bronze – Luca Del Pero (ITA) – 37’36”
Women
Gold – Tove Alexandersson (SWE) – 42’28
Silver – Madlen Kappler (GER) – 42’44″
Bronze – Corinna Ghirardi (ITA) – 43’39”
SKYSNOW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS CLASSIC
Monte Mangart Winter Trail results
Men
Gold – Martin Nilsson (SWE) – 1h09’59”
Silver – Luca Del Pero (ITA) – 1h11’54”
Bronze – Timotej Becan (SLO) – 1h12’26”
Women
Gold – Tove Alexandersson (SWE) – 1h22’18″
Silver – Madlen Kappler (GER) – 1h22’44”
Bronze – Corinna Ghirardi (ITA) – 1h24’52”
COMBINED MEDAL COUNT
Men
Gold – Luca Del Pero (ITA)
Silver – Martin Nilsson (SWE)
Bronze – Diego Diaz (ESP)
Women
Gold – Tove Alexandersson (SWE)
Silver – Madlen Kappler (GER)
Bronze – Corinna Ghirardi (ITA)
Medal count and country ranking
Race results
More info
Race website
