Youth Cup: Austria and Italy dominate first day in Harrachov
Jan 20, 2025·Nordic Combined)
The second and final FIS Nordic Combined Youth Cup of the 2024-2025 season took place in Harrachov, Czechia.
Over two days of exciting competition, 86 boys and 25 girls from Youth 1 and Youth 2 categories demonstrated their athleticism and skill. The Ski Jumping event was held on the K70 hill, providing a great setting for the weekend’s events.
Youth Cup 1 Boys: Victory for Aaron Hochenegg
The competition began with the Youth Cup 1 boys, where Norway’s Leon Kristoffer Kjøllestad stole the show in the Ski Jumping round, earning a solid 107.9 points. Austria’s Simon Grossegger (98.7 points) and Marvin Reinhardt (96.8 points) followed closely behind. The real excitement came during the 3.8 km cross-country race, where Austria’s Aaron Hochenegg made an impressive comeback, racing up from 4th place after the jumping segment. Hochenegg narrowly edged out Grossegger by just one second to claim his first Youth Cup victory. Kjøllestad, who had led after the jump, was unable to hold his position and finished in 3rd, just two seconds behind.
Youth Cup 1 Girls: Anna Brandner dominates for her first victory
Austria’s Anna Brandner dominated the Youth Cup 1 girls’ competition, soaring to victory in the Ski Jumping round with 98.4 points. Norway’s Hannah Christina Brobeck (85.9 points) and Slovakia’s Lucia Siragiova (76.2 points) took second and third, respectively. With a strong lead in the 3.8 km cross-country, Brandner gave no chance to her competitors and crossed the finish line to celebrate her first-ever Youth Cup victory. Norway’s Kristiane Tyrom finished 1:46 behind in second place, while Brobeck fought back in a tough sprint narrowly beating Latvia’s Luize Codere, finishing in third place, 2:22 behind Brandner.
Youth Cup 2 Boys: Levi Hofmann wins in a hard-fought race
In the Youth Cup 2 boys’ category, Slovakia’s Hektor Kapustik led after the Ski Jumping round with 104.4 points, closely followed by Austria’s Levi Hofmann (102.5 points) and a tie between Maximilian Vorderegger (100.4 points) and Jachym Hrdina (100.4 points). However, Kapustik couldn’t hold his lead during the 6.3 km cross-country race, and Hofmann surged ahead, ultimately claiming his first Youth Cup victory. Vorderegger finished strong in second place, just 5 seconds behind the winner, while Hrdina came in third, 9 seconds behind Hofmann. Ukraine’s Rostyslav Kirashchuk impressed with the fastest skiing time of the day, charging from 13th place after the jump to finish just 10 seconds off the podium in 4th.
Youth Cup 2 Girls: Ludovica Del Bianco wins by 46 seconds
The Youth Cup 2 girls’ competition saw Italy’s Ludovica Del Bianco take the lead after the Ski Jumping round with an impressive 87.1 points, ahead of Norway’s Ingrid Graesli (82.2 points) and Czechia’s Julie Osmerova (81.7 points). Del Bianco demonstrated exceptional strength, holding onto her lead throughout the 5 km cross-country race and securing her first Youth Cup victory. Osmerova fought her way into second place, finishing 46 seconds behind, while Germany’s Mara-Joli Schlossarek put in a strong performance to finish third, just 53 seconds off the winner.
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