Ukraine regained their Mixed Relay title at the Para Cross-Country World Champs in Toblach, as Norway secured Open Relay gold
Feb 13, 2025·Para Cross-Country
Ukraine won their fourth 4x2.5km Mixed Relay gold from the last five editions of the Para Cross-Country World Championships, with Norway taking the Open Relay crown as Vilde Nilsen claimed her second gold in Toblach.
The Mixed Relay opened proceedings on Thursday and it turned out to be a thriller. Just 18 seconds separated the top five teams with the medals decided in the closing meters.
With no limitation on gender order, tactics would play their part. Mengtao Liu gave People’s Republic of China an early lead, but Ukraine’s Pavlo Bal was only 11 seconds behind his fellow Sitting skier. Canada’s Derek Zaplotinsky was over a minute off the pace in third with USA’s Kendall Gretsch - the first of the women racers - eight seconds further back.
The order remained the same at the second changeover with Yue Wang, fourth in Wednesday’s women’s Vison Impaired (VI) 10km Classic, 14 seconds ahead of Oleksandra Kononova.
The complexion of the contest changed markedly after that. Germany lay seventh at midway after opening legs from Sitting Classic gold medallist Anja Wicker and Johanna Recktenwald, but Alexander Ehler’s ski put them into fourth place ahead of the final changeover.
Ukraine went into gold-medal position with Oleksandr Aleksyk building a lead of 45 seconds over women’s Sitting fourth Shiyu Wang. Canada’s Standing bronze medallist from Wednesday, Mark Arendz, was just seven seconds further back in third with Ehler handing over 25 seconds later.
USA Sitting skier Daniel Cnossen was 19 seconds behind Ehler, but handed over to the fastest skier in any discipline in Toblach - VI gold medallist Jake Adicoff. Two years ago in Östersund (SWE), he sliced through the field from fourth to first. This time, he had a minute and three-quarters to find on Liudmyla Liashenko with Germany, China and Canada also in the medal hunt.
In a dramatic finale, Adicoff (guide Reid Goble) moved up to second but could not quite catch Liashenko. The Ukrainians stayed clear by seven seconds to regain the title after consecutive wins in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Nine seconds after Adicoff crossed the line, Germany won the three-way battle for bronze with Marco Maier edging out China’s Xiaobin Liu by eight-tenths. Canada’s Natalie Wilkie was the same margin back in fifth place.
For Ukrainian anchor Liashenko, it was a fourth Mixed Relay world title to take her overall tally to 12. Kononova now has 15 golds at World Championships with Bal claiming his third gold. Sitting skier Aleksyk - who has just two World Cup podium places to his name - celebrated his first medal of any kind at the Para Cross-Country Worlds.
“This victory means that we are a really strong team,” remarked Ukraine coach Andrey Nesterenko. “All of these athletes except Aleksyk were world champions already. Everyone worked really well. We are proud that we are here. We’re ready to fight the next day, and we are really happy.”
Adicoff was far from disappointed at not being able to repeat his heroics from 2023: “It was good. Really fun course - so fast and icy today and such a change from yesterday. Team medals are always the most fun. It’s so easy to ski fast when you’re racing for the team.”
German lead-off skier Wicker admitted she was biting her nails by the end.
The key moment of the Open Relay came at the midway point. France were in front thanks to a fine leg from Anthony Chalençon, but Karl Tabouret took the wrong course and the team was disqualified.
China headed the field by 17 seconds after Shuang Yu’s opening leg with very little separating Norway’s Kjartan Haugen, Benjamin Daviet of France, and Germany’s Nico Messenger.
A strong ski from women’s Standing 10km Classic winner Vilde Nilsen put Norway in a clear second place before France’s elimination. Chenyang Wang and Leonie Maria Walter were neck and neck at the second changeover, 11 seconds behind Nilsen.
As China’s Tao Wang lost touch, it became a duel for gold with Sebastian Marburger closing marginally on Haugen who was on double duty for Norway. Despite being almost 30 seconds slower than on his lead-off leg, Haugen handed over nine seconds in front to VI 10km Classic silver medallist Thomas Oxaal.
From there, it was simple for Oxaal (guide Geir Lervik) who always had the measure of German VI rival Lennart Mattis Volkert. Norway took gold by 25.7 seconds with China - anchored by Jiayun Cai - just under a minute further back.
Nilsen, the only remaining member of Norway’s last Open Relay triumph in 2019, became the first double gold medallist at these Toblach Para Worlds. And this ninth career world title had special significance. “It means a lot, especially me and Thomas,” she said. “We’ve been competing since we were small kids together, and to take gold together with him and Kjartan is unbelievable.”
Volkert was delighted to bring the Germans home for silver at his debut World Championships. “I’m so happy. It’s the best feeling, of course,” he beamed. “My first medal ever here. I’m very, very proud of the team.”
Friday’s 20km Interval Start Free races will mark the conclusion of the Toblach leg of the 2025 Para Cross-Country World Championships, with Nilsen bidding to maintain her perfect record. However, the Championships are not over yet—the Sprint event will take place in Trondheim during the 2025 FIS Nordic World Championships.
