Leon Ulbricht is the new star in the German snowboard crosser sky. The 19-year-old from Allgäu surprisingly duped the international competition at the World Cup in the Sierra Nevada and thus saved the honor of Snowboard Germany.
The 2022 junior world champion was the bright spot from a German perspective in the Sierra Nevada. While the established Paul Berg (Sonthofen) had already been eliminated in his round of 16, Ulbricht, who had previously only caused a sensation in the European Cup, won first his round of 16 and then his quarter-finals against opponents who were much more highly rated.
And that wasn’t all: After being in third place for a long time in the semifinals, Ulbricht fought his way to second position and made it to the final together with the American Jason Vedder. And there he was once again the fastest, prevailing in the photo finish ahead of the World Cup leader Canadian Eliot Grandin and Vedder.
Ulbricht: “It’s too crazy”
“I can’t say anything, it’s too crazy”said the visibly overwhelmed Allgäu native, who had never finished higher than eleventh place in his previous twelve World Cup races, and never higher than 22nd place this season.
Jana Fischer fails in the quarterfinals
In the women’s category, only Jana Fischer from SC Löffingen was able to qualify for the quarter-finals. However, that was the final stop for the 24-year-old.
As in Gudauri, the day’s victory was secured by the British Charlotte Bankes, who won the final ahead of Eva Adamczykova (Czech Republic) and the two French women Chloe Trespeuch and Manon Petit Lenoir.