Bitter afternoon for the German ski crossers in Canada. In the fight for a place in the final of the World Cup in Nakiska, Florian Wilsmann and Niklas Bachsleitner fell on Saturday (January 20, 2024). For the only DSV athlete it was over in the quarterfinals.
Wilsmann, who conjured up the fastest time in the qualification on the 1.2 kilometer long course with 39 elements, and Bachsleitner dominated their round of 16 and quarter-final runs from the front. In the joint semi-final, Wilsmann hit the goal post in a right-hand bend, lost his skis and cleared his teammate. Both ended up in the catch fence and were out of the race for the final.
Small finale in German hands
In the small final, Wilsmann again drove easily from the front, Bachsleitner had a close battle with the Austrian Tristan Takats in the upper part of the route, but was able to secure second place. This meant that the German ski crossers ended up in fifth and sixth place in the final rankings. Victory on the “Top Gun” course, around 150 kilometers from Calgary, went to local hero Reece Howden, who prevailed in the final against Terence Tchiknavorian (France) and Alex Fiva (Switzerland).
In addition to Wilsmann and Bachsleitner, Tobias Müller and Tim Hronek also made it into the elimination races of the best 32. For Hronek, however, it was already over in the round of 16. He was eliminated there in fourth place. Müller gave up a lap later; he didn’t manage to finish among the top two of his run in the quarterfinals.
Holzmann out in the quarterfinals
In the women’s race, after World Cup winner Daniela Maier was injured, only one German starter, Johanna Holzmann, took part in the race. However, the eleventh in qualifying was behind in her run from the start and didn’t get close enough to the leaders to launch an attack. Victory also went to Canada in the female competition. Hannah Schmidt held her own in front of her compatriot Marielle Thompson and Fanny Smith from Switzerland.
Maier, who came third in the Olympics, won a World Cup for the first time in Val Thorens at the beginning of December. At the end of the year she was seriously injured during giant slalom training and tore the syndesmosis ligament in her right foot.
There is another race on the program in Nakiska on Sunday. This will be available again in the Sportschau live stream from 8:15 p.m.