Telemark: Throwback to the first month of 2024

The Telemark season is in full swing with three WC stages already completed. Alongside the World Cup, the TeleKidz project, supported by FIS SnowKidz, is also underway.

Let’s throwback to the first month of 2024.

CAREZZA’S STAGE: FRENCH DOMINANCE AND INJURIES FOR THE SWISS TEAM

The third and fourth Sprint races of the season took place in Carezza (ITA). Following her double victory at the season opener in Pinzolo (ITA), Jasmin Taylor (GBR) continued to demonstrate her excellent form by winning both Sprints. She secured the first Sprint with a comfortable lead over the Norwegian duo of Ella Strom Eriksen and Kaja Bjoernstad Konow, who finished second and third, respectively. Ella Strom Eriksen achieved her first-ever podium. It seems like a "Podium family synergy" has emerged for the Eriksen sisters.

Ella Strom Eriksen commented: "Having my sister on the podium motivates me. And now I have proven to myself that I can make it to the podium. I’m super happy about my training and skiing, and hopefully, I’ll be back soon from my hand injury."

Indeed, Ella Strom Eriksen is currently recovering from a hand injury sustained during an international team training session in Les Houches just after the Melchsee-Frutt WC stage. We hope to see her back in shape in Aal in February.

On the men's side, French skier Elie Nabot responded in the best possible way after a challenging start to the season, securing two victories. The first victory came ahead of local skier Raphael Mahlknecht (ITA) and his young compatriot Yoan Rostolan (FRA). The leaders from the first day displayed two very fast skiing sections, but a penalty-free second run for Elie Nabot made the difference against the Italian, confirming his competitiveness against the French contingent. The French team achieved a triple victory on the second day, with Noé Claye and Charly Petex securing the second and third positions, respectively. Fourth-placed Raphael Mahlknecht (ITA) was the only one to challenge the French skiers, who, in total, placed 5 skiers in the top 6 positions.

It was a dramatic turn for the Swiss squad: Nicolas Michel, the reigning champion of the 2023-24 World Cup opening races, unfortunately tore his ACL after the first run of the first Sprint. Then the promising Romain Beney injured his thumb on the jump landing. He should be back for the February races after surgery. This unlucky series of injuries cast doubt on the whole Swiss team for the rest of the season.

After Carezza, Jasmin Taylor and Elie Nabot took the lead in the Sprint and Overall WC standings.

MELCHSEE-FRUTT’S STAGE: TELEMARK « HAUTE COUTURE » AND NEW CONTENDERS EMERGING

After the series of Sprint races, the Classic and Parallel Sprint races followed. When it comes to Classic and Parallel Sprint, one thing is clear: anything can happen, and both physical and mental toughness are mandatory. Before the races, one might have thought that everything was already decided for Jasmin Taylor and the French team. However, that was without counting on Martina Wyss and Alexi Mosset's return to form, especially during the Parallel Sprints. Martina Wyss (SUI) secured victories in all three races for her first Telemark World Cup. She begins her ski cross career this year with the Swiss team, just like her compatriot Alexi Mosset (SUI), who also claimed victory in the first parallel sprint of the season. Telemark and Skicross evidently complement each other well!

The first day saw a majestic Classic race awaited the Telemark warriors. Adored by some, feared by others, the Melchsee’s Classic isn’t a freewheel cruise: a total of 63 gates (43 giant slalom gates) for a length of 913m with a vertical drop of 400m, a jump section with a line at 23m for men, some icy 40° steep sections, and two nordic skating sections. A morale-booster or a legs killer after the finish line. Martina Wyss (SUI) and Noé Claye (FRA) impressively triumphed, both achieving zero penalties. Augustine Carliez (FRA) and Jasmin Taylor (GBR) rounded off the podium for women, while for men, it was a French sweep at the top with Noé Claye, Yoann Rostolan, and Elie Nabot.

In the season's first parallel sprint, Laly Chaucheprat (FRA) secured her first podium in this discipline, finishing second behind Martina Wyss (SUI) and ahead of Norwegian Goril Strom Eriksen, who took third. Among the men, two Frenchmen followed Swiss Alexi Mosset: Noé Claye and Alexis Page.

A new outsider emerged among the men over the first two days of racing. Young Swedish athlete Alvin Noaksson narrowly missed the podium in both the classic and the first parallel sprint. He could potentially disrupt the hierarchy soon and pose a challenge to France, as could Italian Raphael Mahlknecht, although he lagged behind somewhat in this stage.

Alvin Noaksson said: "Coming to Melchsee Frutt was the first WC and second Telemark competition for me this season. I had done a fair bit of training and felt that my skiing was better than ever, but I still could not imagine the results I managed to achieve. The morning before the classic, I was surprised about how well I managed my nerves. I tried to look at it as if it was just any other training opportunity, only focusing on the skiing I can achieve and not the high level of everyone else’s skiing. When I reached the finish line, I felt that my run was far from perfect, but probably thanks to some fast skating, I was happily surprised to find out that I finished in 4th place. Trying to keep the exact same mindset on the morning of the first parallel, I felt that my skiing could take me far after the qualification round. After a win against Leonard, a lucky heat against Elie and a loss against Noe, I was more than happy to put up a really fair fight against Alexis for the bronze. I was only centimeters away from the podium, but I am still more than pleased with my second 4th place and all of the new experiences I gained before heading home from Melchsee Frutt!"

The second parallel sprint of the season, held on Sunday, also showcased some outstanding performances. Martina Wyss (SUI) claimed victory again, this time ahead of young Swiss skier Léa Lathion, who secured her first World Cup podium. Augustine Carliez (FRA) completed the podium. Once again, the men's parallel sprint saw three French athletes dominating, with Elie Nabot emerging as the clear winner, followed by Noé Claye and Alexis Page.

Léa Lathion said: "At the start of the season, Julien Annequin (Swiss coach) and I did a lot of work on my many DNFs last year, which enabled me to ski faster in the giants to make up for the time I'd lost in cross-country skiing. Julien also gives me a lot in terms of mental strength and confidence. He also helps me to channel my stress."

Léa Lathion’s podium proves that it is essential to believe in yourself and never give up to achieve your dreams. After falling at the Classic, the Swiss athlete was really feverish, and it seems that her coach was able to find the right words to motivate her to exploit her potential.

According to French team coach Antoine Bouvier, the level of competition was exceptionally high during this race, with no room for error on an icy and fast track.

Antoine Bouvier said: "The French were eagerly awaited this season, and they responded with regular podium finishes. In both the boys' and girls' events, 8 different athletes have already reached the podium, proof of the strength of this team. However, the competition for victory remains fierce, with young foreign athletes such as Raphael Mahlknecht and Alvin Noaksson on the rise. In the women's event, England's Jasmin Taylor is in fine form, as are Switzerland's Martina Wyss and young Léa Lathion, as well as the entire Norwegian armada. The rest of the season promises to be very interesting in the fight for the Crystal Globes."

Behind Alvin Noaksson (SWE) performance, we can expect that juniors such as Max Sautter (GER), Maximilian Walcher (AUS), or Adrian Ball (CAN) challenge each other within the men's top 10. Certainly, young blood is aiming to destabilize the hierarchy. But when it comes to joining the World Cup, some have achieved the dream while being older, such as Stefan Bagnato from the US Telemark ski team. Aged 45, he attempted his first WC ever in Melchsee-Frutt. He had a blast, and the smile on his face throughout the day said it all.

Stefan Bagnato said: "Getting an opportunity to join the WC circuit was not something I ever imagined was possible, so I wanted to seize that chance and absorb all that I can. The Melchsee-Frutt races were an incredible and humbling experience. I have been teleskiing for nearly 25 years, and I have found the telemark community to be so amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and fun. The roots and spirit of telemark are definitely something we all have in common, whether you are recreational skiing or racing with the best in the world."

After the Swiss stage, Noé Claye (FRA) took the lead over his compatriot Elie Nabot in the overall standings. Among the women, Jasmin Taylor (GBR) remains the leader.

THE TELEKIDZ PROGRAM IS ON TRACK FOR ITS SECOND SEASON

Last year, FIS Telemark advanced with FIS SnowKidz, the first phase of the Bring Children to the Snow campaign. It is a unique program and communications platform that enables organizers worldwide to share and showcase their events to bring children to the snow. A series of FIS TeleKidz events are organized throughout this season with free initiations for kids. Thanks to the support of 22 Designs telemark bindings and Salomon ski, FIS Telemark managed to build a kids gear fleet of 30 pairs of skis that are brought to several telemark races or festivals. For example, in January, 40 kids aged from 6 to 18 in Grimentz Saint-Jean (SUI) and 30 kids in Samoëns (FRA) discovered telemark skiing for the first time during a one-day event.