Even Slovenian ski-mountaineers...

Even Slovenian ski-mountaineers among the world's best.

At the European Championship in ski-mountaineering in Switzerland, which also counted towards World Cup points, three competitors represented Slovenian colors over the past weekend: newcomer to major competitions Karmen Klančnik and experienced Nejc Kuhar and Matjaž Mikloša. The Slovenian representatives reached towards the top ten in the uphill race – Klančnik took 9th place and Kuhar 11th – and also performed successfully in the individual race and sprint.



The Slovenian national team in competitive ski-mountaineering, operating under the Alpine Association of Slovenia led by coach and selector Iztok Cukjati, participated in the Les Marécottes 2016 World Championship from February 5 to 7, 2016, where around 200 competitors from 23 countries took part. On Friday (5. 2.) the individual race was scheduled, on Saturday (6. 2.) the uphill race, and on Sunday (7. 2.) the sprint race. Karmen Klančnik (TSK Olimpik) and Nejc Kuhar (TSO PD Jezersko) competed in all three disciplines, while Matjaž Mikloša (TSK Olimpik) also took part in the sprint.



Kuhar performed well in Friday's individual race, won by Italian Michele Boscacci, and in the very tight competition took 13th place at the European Championship (15th in the World Cup), which is his best result in this discipline at the European Championship to date. Klančnik achieved 21st place in the European competition or 23rd in the World Cup at her first European Championship and second World Cup race. Although she was very confident on the ascents and close to the top ten, she lost too much on the descents, as poor snow conditions in Slovenia did not allow for descent training, which often decides the winner in ski-mountaineering, and even a minor mistake can mean a significant drop in the rankings.



The two Slovenian team members performed best in their flagship discipline, Saturday's uphill race, where Karmen Klančnik reached the top ten and celebrated an excellent 9th place (both at EC and WC). "I expected the most from the uphill race, as it only counts raw power and endurance, technique is secondary. I started very well and already overtook two competitors early in the race, which gave me even more motivation. I maintained a strong, even pace to the top, with my heart rate at maximum. The scoreboard showed 9th place at the end, and I'm very satisfied!" she summarized her impressions on her blog. The winner was Frenchwoman Victoria Kreuzer.



In the strong men's competition, Spaniard Kilian Jornet Burgada took gold in the uphill, while Nejc Kuhar with 11th place narrowly missed the top ten and thus equaled his placement from last year's World Championship in Verbier: "Kilian was predictably number one, and my name was listed in 11th place, missing the top ten by just three tenths. Of course, I was thrilled with the result," he wrote on his blog.



Sunday's sprint was an opportunity for all three Slovenian competitors. Klančnik finished 14th, Kuhar 24th, and Matjaž Mikloša 29th.



"Overall, I'm satisfied with my placement at the European Championship, as I took a high 14th in the sprint and 21st in the classic. I know there is still a lot of room for improvement, as I made several mistakes on the competition as an inexperienced competitor that can certainly be corrected. Descents in particular are currently my weakest point due to lack of snow and thus difficult training conditions. Looking forward to better snow conditions, I'm already excited for the next World Cup races and good results that are undoubtedly achievable," said Karmen Klančnik after her debut European Championship, echoed by Slovenia's most successful ski-mountaineer Nejc Kuhar: "I'm very satisfied with the past competition weekend. I achieved nice placements in the uphill and individual with small gaps to the best. Competing at this level of fitness is a real pleasure, and I can hardly wait for the next World Cup stop."



"The World Cup races, which also counted towards this year's European Championship, took place in the beautiful setting of the Swiss Alps. Nejc and Karmen showed the most in the uphill race and achieved excellent 11th or 9th place. Nejc also showed excellent form in the individual race and finished 15th, while Karmen lost too much time on the descents for a better placement. Matjaž's sprint performance unfortunately did not go as expected, but Karmen’s progress in this discipline is encouraging, where she was just a few seconds short of the semifinals," assessed the successes of our competitors coach and selector of the Slovenian national team in competitive ski-mountaineering Iztok Cukjati, adding: "Once again, the quality difference between competitors who engage in ski-mountaineering professionally and those who train less systematically due to other work obligations has shown. The next World Cup races are in two weeks, and we can look forward to the performance of our top competitors."