The Swiss team celebrates a good performance at the Ski Junior World Championships.Photo: Swiss-ski.ch

The Junior Ski World Championships in Canada recently concluded with the men’s slalom and women’s giant slalom. From the point of view of the twelve-member Swiss team, the competitions in Panorama were quite successful. Although no gold medals were seen with three silvers and two bronzes, the title fight was the most successful since the 2019 victory in Italy, where the Swiss won seven times the precious metal.

In the medal tally, Switzerland finished in eighth place, due to the fact that the rankings are based on gold medals as usual. If it were based on the number of medals, Switzerland would be second only to Austria (seven medals) along with Germany and Canada. Ultimately, however, title fights can certainly be described as “successful”—in the all-time medal tally of the Junior World Championships, which has been held in Auron, France since it was first held in 1982. The Swiss are second only to Austria.

Franjo von Allman (left) was able to climb the podium three times in Canada.Photo: Swiss-ski.ch

von allman trump

One athlete in particular presented himself in excellent form overseas: Franzo von Allmann from the Bernese Oberland. The 20-year-old from Boltigen won three out of five medals for Switzerland. In the downhill, the Super-G as well as the Alpine Combined Allmen were allowed to wear the silver medal and thus make the competitions in the panorama their own fairy tale of success.

Understandably, there was a lot of happiness about all three medals. However, Oberlander must have felt a little sad as he was denied the gold medal three times. Especially at the alpine joint, where he shared second place with Italian Marco Abruzzi, was missing just six hundredths of a second to win the gold. And even in Super-G he was only 13 hundredths in a row for the top spot on the podium.

With three medals at the Junior World Championships, von Allman proved once again, as he had done throughout the season, that he was one of the best of his year and his ability to be part of the larger alpine ski circuit in the future. keep.

Allman was only allowed to wear three medals before the Junior World Championships. Shortly before this, he had won two gold and one silver at the U21 Swiss Championship.Photo: BOSV

In addition to successes in those three disciplines, the Allmen’s all-rounder also faced competition in giant slalom and slalom. And the results there were also quite impressive. He was 19th in the “Giant” and 26th in the slalom.

In the slalom, Reto Machler achieved the best result from the Swiss point of view with his 9th place, Lenz Hechler 21st. In the giant slalom, von Allmen was the second best Swiss in the team after the second Bernese Oberlander, Erik Wyler, who has finished 15th.

Exploitation in team event

Meanwhile, Wyler, who hails from Brienz, and Machler were also the center of attention in the team event that took place earlier in the week. Together with Delphine Darbelle and Delia Dürer, they achieved a feat by coming third in the team competition. After victories against Great Britain and Norway in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, there was a narrow defeat against the Austrian team in the semi-finals.

The Swiss managed an exploit in the team event (from left to right) with third places: Erik Wyler, Delphine Darbelle, Delia Dürer and Reto Mchler.Photos: zvg

Fantastic Cheers From The Swiss Ski Quartet

In the “small final”, the Swiss ski quartet won against the United States and eventually received the bronze medal. The victory went to the Canadian team, who won in the final against the Swiss conquerors Austria.

For Brienz’s Eric Wyler, success in the team competition was the highlight of competitions in Canada. “Certainly, especially because we didn’t expect medals. And as a lone fighter in skiing, team events like this are always great.”

As a beginner, he was not quite capable of achieving the goals he had set. “I want to show my best and if possible finish in the top ten,” he already said. But he missed it in both slalom and giant slalom. The latter, however, saw a 15th place finish in the final. “Unfortunately, I slightly injured my hand in the first run. But in the end it was a solid performance and I’m satisfied too,” said Wyler. The hand caused problems for Berenze in the previous performance, the slalom. Ultimately, Wyler didn’t appear in the final standings at all – calling him “Threader”. Reason was disqualified in the first round.

hopli with bronze

Meanwhile, Aline Hopley of Gosau was responsible for the fifth medal from the Swiss point of view. After Rank 24, in Alpine Combined’s Super-G, it didn’t really look like a medal blessing. But Hopley made a brilliant slalom run in the Canadian ice and finally greeted from third place.

Franjo von Allmen and Aline Hopley celebrate their medals, which they won on the same day.Photo: Swiss-ski.ch

For example, Delia Dürer, who, along with von Allmen, was one of the highest medal hopes in the run-up, was rejected. Dürer, who had previously claimed victory in the European Cup, was fourth in the downhill and just two hundredths of a second from the podium. While she finished in the giant slalom, she achieved a very successful result with an eighth-place finish in the Super-G.

Overall, the competitions in Canada were successful for the Swiss team. First and foremost, Franzo von Allmann of the Bernese Oberland made his mark in the title fight at Panorama with his three medals. So the future of Swiss skiers looks quite promising.

The next Alpine Junior World Championships will be held next year in St. Anton, Austria. Athletes born between 2002 and 2006 will be eligible to start.