Klara Velepec junior world runner-up 2026

Klara Velepec junior world runner-up 2026 - with a fairy-tale seventh medal.

Junior Klara Velepec is returning from the 2026 Puy Saint Vincent World Championships in ski mountaineering with a silver medal in the uphill event in the under-20 category, after winning silver in the individual event and bronze in the sprint, a new Olympic discipline, at the European Championships in early March. This is the fairy-tale seventh medal for the 19-year-old from Radovljica in this exceptional season, where she stood on the podium in seven out of eight races she competed in. She proved her versatility with two golds, three silvers, and two bronzes in three different disciplines - uphill, sprint, and individual.

The French ski resort of Puy Saint Vincent hosted the World Ski Mountaineering Tour from January 25 to 29 on a World Cup race that also served as the 2026 junior World Championships. The first day featured the individual race, followed by the uphill race on January 26, which was marked by challenging weather conditions with strong winds, forcing the organizers to adjust the course so that the competitors - a total of 180 across all three age categories - were less exposed to the wind.



In the uphill, junior Klara Velepec (PD Poljčane) shone, defending her title as world champion in the under-20 category from last year in France. She conquered the demanding 550-meter vertical climb course in 29:31.6, but had to concede superiority in the women's under-20 competition this year to Italy's Silvia Boscacci (29:02.8), who was 28.8 seconds faster, with Spain's Aina Garreta Farrús taking third (29:50.7).



"The most important race of the season is behind me, and I completed it with distinction. I earned the title of world runner-up in one of the toughest races for me so far. I really gave it my all, which was evident at the finish. When crossing the finish line, I had no strength left for celebration; I needed a few minutes for my body to recover a bit, and when I realized what I had achieved again, I had a smile from ear to ear," glowed the 19-year-old Radovljica native Klara Velepec, justly proud of her achievements this season: "This season, my body and mind prove that I have managed to step up a notch from last year. I didn't manage to repeat the gold medal and the world champion title in uphill, but I can be even prouder of myself, as I finished all uphills and almost all other races I entered among the top three, which shows quality and good work throughout the season. This was really my season with two golds, three silvers, and two bronzes."

Klara also competed in the sprint at the junior World Championships in France on March 28 with high expectations, but unfortunately ran out of strength; she lost the skin on her skis in the qualifications and thus had no chance to fight for the top spots, finishing 14th. Slovenia's most successful ski mountaineer in 2025 returned from the 2026 European Championships in early March with a silver in the individual and bronze in the sprint. She started the 2026 junior World Cup season in February in Germany with bronze in uphill, and a week later in Norway won three medals overall - gold in sprint, her first in this Olympic discipline, also gold in uphill, and silver in the individual.



Klara Velepec surprised two years ago in her first season in ski mountaineering, winning silver in the uphill as a cadet (under 18) at the 2024 European Championships, Slovenia's first medal at major ski mountaineering competitions. Last year, in the under-20 category uphill, she became the 2025 junior world champion, celebrating the title alongside Klemen Španring, who was the 2025 world champion among U23 (under 23).



Španring (PD Poljčane) also competed in the uphill at the World Cup in Puy Saint Vincent, finishing solidly in 23rd place (23:10.8). He trailed the winner, the unbeatable Swiss Rémi Bonnet (20:43.8), who notched his 32nd World Cup win, by 2 minutes and 27 seconds. At the 2026 European Championships in early March, the 23-year-old from Poljčane placed 9th, entering the top ten European competitors in uphill.



Slovenia's colors in the sprint were also represented by Maj Pritržnik (TSK LiMa), who finished sixth among U23 at the recent European Championships in this Olympic discipline. At the World Cup in Puy Saint Vincent, where two-time world champion Frenchman Thibault Anselmet triumphed, Pritržnik broke into the top half, 24th among seniors, marking the first time the 21-year-old from Dobrne placed among the top 30 in senior competition.