Klara Velepec and Klemen Španring 2025 world champions...

Klara Velepec and Klemen Španring 2025 world champions in ski mountaineering.

Double Slovenian triumph at the World Championships in Morgins, Switzerland, and the greatest achievement for Slovenian competitive ski mountaineering! After Klara Velepec became the junior world champion 2025 in uphill yesterday, March 4, in the morning, Klemen Španring also won in the evening senior race in that discipline among under-23s, achieving his maiden career victory at the most important competition.

When junior Klara Velepec (TSK LiMa) at the 2025 Morgins World Championships in competitive ski mountaineering defeated all competitors in the uphill race on March 4 and became the junior world champion 2025 in the under-20 category, the Slovenian team probably did not think that this was not the highlight of the day, but merely the prelude to a double Slovenian triumph in Switzerland. In the evening senior race, Klemen Španring (TSK LiMa) won the uphill among under-23s, and absolutely he was an excellent fifth among seniors, which is also the greatest Slovenian achievement at the World Championships so far.


Promising competitive ski mountaineer Klara Velepec (TSK LiMa), who last year won Slovenia's first ever medal in competitive ski mountaineering at major competitions with silver at the European Championships, has set a new milestone at this year's World Championships in Switzerland - Slovenia's first victory at the biggest international competition. The junior world champion in uphill in the under-20 category defeated second-placed Norwegian Elise Hjelset Andersen (27:09.7) and her eternal rival, Spaniard Laia Selles Sanchez (27:12.0) in third place, on the demanding course with 500 vertical meters in a time of 27:00.9.

"The race was very demanding. During the race it was very tough, but the victory rewarded all the effort, hard training, and all the sacrifices. I am happy to the skies and beyond, with positive thoughts and a smile on my face I head into the next races," summarized the 18-year-old from Radovljica, who on February 7 this year won her maiden career victory at the junior World Cup 2024/2025 race in Slovakia, namely in the junior category (under 20) in the uphill discipline.

Last year in the cadet category (under 18) she won silver in uphill at the 2024 European Championships in Chamonix, Slovenia's first medal at major ski mountaineering competitions, took second place in uphill at the junior World Cup races in Berchtesgaden, and won three medals in Molde, Norway: silver in uphill and sprint, and individual bronze.

New world champion Klemen Španring, Slovenia's most successful competitive ski mountaineer in 2023 and current national champion in uphill, managed the demanding and steep course with 500 meters of ascent in 20 minutes and one second, beating silver medalist Russian Nikita Filippov by 14.8 seconds among under-23s, while Frenchman Anselme Damevin placed third with 20:22.4. In the senior competition, where unbeatable Swiss Remi Bonnet won with 18:50.3, the 22-year-old from Poljčane was overall fifth.

"I couldn't be happier. The goal was top 10 at the World Championships, I was fifth and first among under-23s, so I'm really super happy. I gave everything, I said go to the end or die, there was no other way. That's what we train for all the time, I knew it would come together one day - and it did at the World Championships, the main goal of the season," was overjoyed Španring, who stepped onto the podium for the first time in his career at the most important competition in competitive ski mountaineering.

Young world champions Velepec and Španring also competed in the senior mixed relay at the World Championships in Switzerland on March 3, finishing 27th in qualifications, while the duo Rea Kolbl-Maj Pritržnik competed in the B-final and placed 20th. In the uphill race, Slovenian colors were also represented by Luka Kovačič, who was 24th, and Rea Kolbl, who did not finish the race, cadet (under 18) Lena Lupša placed 13th, and junior (under 20) Jaka Marinko 29th.

The Slovenian team in competitive ski mountaineering, led by head coach Robert Pritržnik, is represented by eight athletes among 400 competitors from 25 countries in Switzerland, in addition to those mentioned also senior Ana Čufer, who stakes most on sprint scheduled for Thursday, March 6, followed by the individual race the next day and the team event at the end of the championships on Saturday, March 8. The team is also accompanied by ski technician Tomaž Ošlak.

At the Winter Olympics, hosted by Italy (Milan and Cortina) from February 6 to 22, 2026, ski mountaineering will be in the program for the first time, with three sets of medals available: women's and men's sprint, and mixed relay. At this year's World Championships in Switzerland, the first Olympic quotas have already been awarded to the top two mixed relays, and on Thursday also to the top two in women's and men's sprint.

Slovenian competitors will compete at the Morgins 2025 World Championships also in:

Thursday, March 6 > sprint race >>> live broadcast via ISMF Skimo YouTube profile,
Friday, March 7 > individual race,
Saturday, March 8 > team race.