Mathias Flückiger and the surprising Vital Albin started from the front row after their great short track race. It was a different story for Nino Schurter, who had to line up in the second row in eleventh place on the short track. After the start lap, however, Schurter was in the lead, while Flückiger's conservative start had left him 16 seconds behind. His team-mate Albin was a little further back and remained in the front midfield until the end of the race. The Bernese rider in the Swiss champion's jersey was different: on the first full lap, he closed the gap to the front with the fastest time. Two laps later, he accelerated so fast on the steep climb that only Nino Schurter was able to keep up.

The two veterans rode the remaining laps at the front. On the final climb, Flückiger was able to open up a small gap to Schurter and saved his minimal lead to the finish. "Nino Schurter made the race very tough," explained Mathias Flückiger in the winner's interview. The situation in the final lap was the same as at the 2021 World Championships in Val di Sole. Back then, Schurter came out on top. "I was also thinking about the World Championships during the race. It's good that it turned out like this this time." In addition, Flückiger has also achieved another double, i.e. victory in the short track and the main race, which he did twice last season.

Nino Schurter also drew a comparison with the 2021 World Championship race: "It's more difficult to play my cards here, I've also lacked the last bit of willpower recently. But it's a good sign if I can achieve a result like this on a track that doesn't suit me." Third place went to Alan Hatherly, the only one who could reasonably keep up with the two Swiss riders. The next Swiss: Andri Frischknecht (13th), Joel Roth (15th), Reto Indregand (17th) and Vital Albin (20th).

Results

Sina Frei with a strong performance

Leogang was another one of those - can you call it that? - Jolanda Neff race. On the first lap, she took the lead and even pulled out a small advantage on the downhill. After that, however, it was over for the time being and the skier from eastern Switzerland dropped back to 20th place.

But Sina Frei emerged in the battle for the podium places. Right at the front, Loana Lecomte showed why she won the overall World Cup last season without riding all the races. Without really attacking, she rode away from everyone else with her consistently high pace. The "best of the rest" was just as consistently the Swede Jenny Rissveds. She was already in first and second place at the halfway point of the race and it would have taken a major incident or collapse to change that. DE-CH;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Loana Lecomte kicked ass in the winner's interview, as you would expect from her, and was naturally delighted with her perfect weekend (winning the short track and the main race), all the more so as she was the first rider to achieve this feat twice in the same place. "My goal is the European and World Championships, the overall World Cup is not an issue, because I won't be riding all the World Cup races," she said at the finish, "but I wanted to win at least one World Cup race this season."

Sina Frei's duel with her teammate and friend Laura Stigger was the most exciting. They gave each other nothing for several laps and rode to 3rd and 4th place on the last lap. At the end of the last climb, local rider Stigger made the decisive attack. She rode the few seconds safely to the finish on the descent. "Next time it will be my home World Cup, we'll see," said Sina Frei in the finish interview with a smile, making a challenge to Laura Stigger. And Jolanda Neff? She steadily fought her way forward after her slump and rode to the finish in eighth place. Alessandra Keller finished tenth.

Results

Short track

The short track race at the fourth World Cup stop in Leogang was more like a short cross-country race. The track, heavily softened by the rain, is a feat of strength and the distances are long by short track standards. In the women's race, a group made up of Loana Lecomte (FRA), Alessandra Keller (SUI), Rebecca McConnell (AUS) and Jenny Rissveds (SUI) set off for the first time. In round four, Lecomte looks for the preliminary decision and thus pulls the group apart.

First time for Albin

The men's race starts under the pace dictation of Henrique Avancini (BRA), but compared to the women's race, the field remains more compact. Mathias Flückiger and Vital Albin are also at the front.

Within a lap, Flückiger increases his lead immensely, Albin and Avancini are still in second and third position. But now Jens Schuermanns (BEL) and Vlad Dascalu (ROM) are also closing the gap. The latter now pulls away a little and takes his first podium place in the short track with the two.

Vital Albin finishes third. This is the Bünder's first elite podium in the World Cup and a surprise: "I knew I was in good shape. But I really didn't expect to make it onto the podium. It was great that I had Math with me. It was an advantage for me and we were able to make perfect use of this new situation for us."

Results