FIS Newsflash – Overall 2009 World Cup Champions
Rykhus (NOR) and Reymond (SUI) |
Amelie Reymond (SUI) |
The Telemark World Cup also concluded in Bjorli (NOR) with a three-day event last weekend. Altogether the season consisted of six competition weekends in five countries. After the World Championships held in Kreischberg-Murau (AUT) the tour visited Spain in Valdezcaray before moving to its country of origin, Norway for a total of six competition days in Rjukan and Bjorli.
In the ladies competition, Swiss Amelie Reymond continued her domination and secured not only victory in the final competitions in a clear fashion but also the overall World Cup title and event titles in the three individual events: classic, sprint classic and giant slalom. In the World Cup her worst rank all season was 2nd place, and in the end she took the overall globe with a margin of 380 points over second-placed Katinka Knudsen (NOR). Sandrine Mayer of Switzerland added to the great team result with her 3rd place ranking overall. Sigrid Rykhus (NOR) who won two gold medals at the World Championships at the end of January, since then has concentrated on racing ski cross.
In the men’s overall Eirik Rykhus (NOR) won the overall ranking after 15 races, 142 points ahead of Swede Mathias Wagenius. It was Rykhus’s fifth overall title. Børge Søvik (NOR) finished third just 16 points ahead of young Swiss Bastien Dayer. Søvik, too, has concentrated on racing in ski cross for parts of the season and was not in a position to challenge Rykhus and Wagenius for the overall trophy. Wagenius won both the Telemark classic and giant slalom event titles while Rykhus collected the small globe in the Telemark sprint classic.