France is golden medal in the Team Event
Silver for the US, followed by Germany
The Marseillaise is in the air under the sky of Val di Fassa. The team event of the Fis Alpine Junior World Ski Championships ended with a surprising result, with the first three nations classified in the 2018 edition outside the podium area and the outsiders dominating the scene. Toasting was France, which, after having cleared Norway, vice-world champions, in the quarterfinals with an astonishing 4-0, reached the final, overtaking the United States 3-1 in the title challenge. The transalpine team thus won its first gold medal at the Fis Alpine Junior World Ski Championships, with Germany winning over Sweden in head-to-head for the bronze medal.
Under the spotlight of the Aloch Ski Stadium dressed up for the party, the team event gave two hours of great show, in the presence of an excellent audience, which saw many of the big names leaving the scene. Italy, which sided with Alex Vinatzer and Lara Della Mea, overtook Finland 4-0, but then came out in the quarter-finals against the United States. Austria, bronze in 2018, even came out in the round of 16 against Great Britain, while the Swiss and Norwegian champions and vice world champions (one of the favourites with the silver of the SuperG Braathen and the bronze of the giant Norbye) had to raise the white flag in the quarterfinals against Sweden and France respectively.
The gold medal was then conquered by Marie Lamure, Doriane Escane, Jeremie Lagier and Augustin Bianchini. For the transalpine team this is the second medal at the Fis Alpine Junior World Ski Championships in Val di Fassa, after the bronze medal won by Florian Loriot in the SuperG. For the American River Radamus, on the other hand, there was even the second medal in two days, this time silver after the gold of the SuperG, shared with A J Hurt, Katie Hensien and Benjamin Ritchie. First medal at the Fis Alpine Junior World Ski Championships for Germany, taken to the podium by Martina Willibald, Nikolaus Pfoederl, Martina Ostler and Fabian Himmelsbach.
The voices of the protagonists
Doriane Escane (France, gold medal): "We never thought we would win, also because in the last two editions of the Fis Alpine Junior World Ski Championships we had always come out in the first round. Beating Norway in the quarter-finals was a surprise for us too and at that point we really started to believe in it. In the final it was a head-to-head tightened and when Augustin gave us the point of triumph for us it was an immense joy".
River Radamus (United States, silver medal): "Personally, I've had two incredible days. For our team it was a hard journey, also because Italy was a really frightening opponent to face in the quarterfinals. We were all great and it's a very special silver. In the final maybe I could have done something more, but in this kind of race it's a moment to get off the track".
Martina Willibad (Germany, bronze medal): "This bronze is simply incredible. I can't even realize that we managed to get to the podium, really a dream day: I struggle to hold back the tears and the words go out in my throat. We want to enjoy this evening to the fullest".
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