The Tour de ski started with a 32e place for cross-country skier Antoine Cyr at the Val Müstair World Cup. The top 30 skiers from the free sprint qualifications reached the elimination rounds, which eluded Cyr by about ten seconds on Saturday.
Second to set off in Switzerland, the Quebecer covered the 1,500 meters of this event in 3 min 4.18 s. A time almost identical to that of his teammate Russell Kennedy, 33e due to a time of 3 min 4.19 s. It was the Austrian Benjamin Moser who obtained the last ticket for the elimination table by finishing 30e (3 mins 14.26 secs).
For his part, the Sherbrooke resident Olivier Léveillé took the 55e rank.
The gold medal went to Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, while Federico Pellegrino and Sindre Bjoernestad Skar took silver and bronze. A four-time Beijing Olympics medalist and reigning Tour de Ski champion, Klaebo now has six World Cup podiums this season, including five victories.
In the women’s event, Katherine Stewart-Jones points to 48e rung with a time of 3 min 35.41 s. She was taking part in her first sprint format race since Ruka, Finland, where she finished 45e in classic style. Liliane Gagnon, from Quebec, finished in 66e square.
Victorious in Beitostolen and Davos before the holidays, Switzerland’s Nadine Farehndrich received another gold medal, this time ahead of Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist (+0.47 seconds) and Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng (+0.62 seconds) in the grand finale.
Competition resumes on Sunday with the pursuit, classic style.