Three medals for Klara Velepec at the season's final race

Three medals for Klara Velepec at the season's final race, including Slovenia's first in Olympic sprints.

Cadet Klara Velepec wrote a true Slovenian ski mountaineering fairy tale at the final race of the youth World Cup in Norway. After winning historic Slovenia's first medal in competitive ski mountaineering at major competitions with silver in the uphill at the European Championships in January, she secured silver in the uphill in Molde, as well as silver in the sprints, which will be an Olympic discipline at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and bronze in the individual race for the cherry on top. In Molde, where the strongest competition of the year gathered for the season finale, junior Maj Pritržnik also shone with 5th place in the uphill, 10th in individual, and 13th in sprints.

Cadet Klara Velepec (TSK LiMa), after her silver medal from the youth European Championships in January and from the youth World Cup race in Germany in February, at the fourth race of the 2023/24 youth World Cup in competitive ski mountaineering, held between March 13 and 17 in Norwegian Molde, enriched her precious collection with three medals, this time in three disciplines, including sprints, which along with mixed relays will be a premier Olympic discipline in 2026 in Italy. Otherwise an excellent mountain runner, she now has five medals in her collection, and this in her first season in competitive ski mountaineering.



The newcomer to the Slovenian youth national team started on March 13 with silver in the uphill, where she had to yield only to Chinese Cidan Yuzhen, leaving Spaniard Laia Selles Sanchez, this year's youth European champion, in third place. "Every uphill is its own story, a lot of effort, tough moments, above all a battle with oneself in one's own head. This race was a big challenge for me, so I'm even happier with the second place won. I proved to myself that despite not so good feelings before the race, I can do it, step by step ... to the top. At the top, pure joy and pride. An exceptional race behind me, one I won't forget for a long time," proudly said 17-year-old Radovljičanka Velepec.

The next day she shone in the most attractive discipline on the standardized course, with a silver medal in sprints setting a new milestone, as this is Slovenia's first medal in the future Olympic discipline of competitive ski mountaineering. "Uaaau, really dreamy ... and we have another silver medal around our neck, this time in this fast discipline. Already in qualifications I saw that the course suits me. Then I just went, race by race, to the final. In the final I led from the start, even in the last turn I held first place. Four competitors came to the finish sprint, it was a tough battle, and in the end 2nd place won. Crazy happy and overjoyed, everything is possible if you want it," enthusiastically relived the race Klara Velepec, who was beaten in sprints only by Spaniard Erola Rocias Sacrest, with Chinese Cidan Yuzhen in third place.



"What can I say, crazy, the Norwegian fairy tale keeps going. Exceptional race, super conditions and even better outcome. Super satisfied and happy," Slovenian ski mountaineering heroine of this season Klara Velepec was smiling on March 16 as well, when she earned her third medal on the third competition day in Norway, her first individual one, and also Slovenia's first in this discipline. The girls faced a varied course in the individual race with 960 meters of elevation, numerous changes, descents and uphills, and foot sections. The fastest again was Chinese Cidan Yuzhen, silver went to Spaniard Laia Selles Sanchez, and bronze was celebrated by the Slovenian ski mountaineering heroine.

Klara's success in the youth category up to 20 years was complemented by Maj Pritržnik (TSK LiMa) with 5th place in the uphill, where on the course with 540 meters of elevation American Griffin Briley triumphed ahead of Italian Herman Debertolis. Third was Frenchman Jules Raybaud, whom the 19-year-old competitor from Dobrne chased closely until the finish, when he ran out of a few atoms of strength for the medal. "Great start to the last station of the youth World Cup in Norway. I'm really glad that in the strongest competition this year I managed to break into the top five," was satisfied Pritržnik, Slovenia's most promising competitive ski mountaineer of 2023, who finished the sprints in 13th place, and also made the top 10 in the individual race with 1160 meters of elevation: "After a slightly weaker performance in sprints, I managed a really super performance individually. I was in touch with the best the whole time, so I can really be very satisfied."

The competition caravan awaited the last race on March 18 in Norway, namely in mixed relays, where the Slovenian pair also aimed high, as they had already been 6th at the Old Continent Championships in France this year, and 7th at the youth World Cup race in Bormio in February. Klara Velepec unfortunately retired after qualifications, while Maj Pritržnik performed very well, so the Slovenian relay could have fought for a top-five placement.

"The conclusion of the youth World Cup brought Slovenia three new medals for Klara among cadets up to 18 years and very good placements for Maj in exceptionally strong competition up to 20 years. Klara concludes this year's ski mountaineering competition season with the race in Norway, or rather only the national championships in pairs with Rea Kolbl at Okrešlju await her, while Maj after Okrešlju heads to the World Cup finale in Cortina, where he will compete in sprints in the senior category," reported selector of the Slovenian national team Robert Pritržnik from Norway.

Slovenian competitors this season still await two domestic races, namely the national championships in pairs on March 24 at Okrešlju and the individual national championships on April 1 at Zelenica, and for the end of the season the last World Cup race in Cortina d'Ampezzo - between April 6 and 10 at the future Olympic venue in Italy, besides Maj Pritržnik, seniors Rea Kolbl, Ana Čufer, Luka Kovačič, and Klemen Španring will also compete.