Frei and Blevins win gold in short track
In the women's short track race, Swiss riders Jolanda Neff, Linda Indergand and Sina Frei soon establish themselves in the leading group, which remains there until the final lap due to the high pace. There, it is Frei who takes advantage of the moment and goes wide. However, there is no question of going far, as her rivals are catching up and the British rider Evie Richards is coming on strong. It comes to a sprint and Frei has the front wheel by a wafer-thin margin. The Zurich rider thus wins the first world championship race in short track. "It was an extremely tough race right to the end. My legs were still burning after the photo finish. On the home straight, I started to believe that I could win, but I hoped that the others wouldn't pass me left and right. I'm extremely happy that it worked out," said a delighted Frei.
Linda Indergand narrowly misses out on the podium behind France's Ferrand-Prevot, Jolanda Neff finishes fifth after falling off the pedals in her attempt to attack and dropping back a little as a result. Alessandra Keller rides to tenth place.
First US victory in 30 years
Only one Swiss athlete, Filippo Colombo, is competing in the men's short track race and he has a chance of winning a medal. But the man from Ticino got off to a bad start and seemed to be lost at the back of the field. However, Colombo is able to catch up and make up ground. But the train has already left the front. And while US rider Christopher Blevins relegates veteran Henrique Avancini to silver and Maximilian Brandl wins the bronze medal for Germany, Colombo finishes in a respectable eighth place.
Blevin's victory marks the end of a 30-year drought. Since Ned Overend, no mountain biker from the USA has managed to win an elite world title.
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