Gianmoena wins Italian title, double for Costa

Veronica Gianmoena and Samuel Costa are the newly-minted Italian national champions in Nordic Combined. Samuel Costa also claimed the Ski Jumping national title in a second competition held in Predazzo at the same weekend.

Gianmoena won her title on the HS 106 in Predazzo and after a 5km roller ski race, which had her cross the finish line one minute and 43 seconds ahead of runner-up Annika Sieff. Lena Prinoth claimed rank three, finishing +2:50.3 after the winner. Martina Zanitzer, Greta Pinzani and Asia Mercato claimed positions four to six.

Samuel Costa claimed his title +0:43 seconds ahead of team veteran Alessandro Pittin, while young athletes Iacopo Bartolas and Stefano Radovan fought over the third place. In the end, Bartolas outsprinted Radovan by 0.4 seconds. Aaron Kostner and Raffaele Buzzi were fifth and sixth.

In the Ski Jumping nationals, Costa claimed the title as favourite Giovanni Bresadola fell after a very long jump which would have him won the event. Luckily, Bresadola remained uninjured. The final result had Costa claim the win with 113.5 points, 0.5 points ahead of Francesco Cecon. Fellow Nordic Combined athletes Giulio Bezzi and Aaron Kostner claimed ranks three and four (109 and 112 and 109 p.) and Iacopo Bartolas was sixth (107.5 p.)

In the women’s event, Nordic Combined athletes Veronica Gianmoena and Annika Sieff claimed respectable third and fifth places.