This weekend, Courchevel hosts the opening of the World Cup and especially the race for qualification for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games. With the two French leaders Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet at the top of their art.
For two months and the return to skiing at Stelvio in Italy, the wait has been long. The courses (Hautes-Alpes, Andermatt in Switzerland, Manigod, Tignes) marked the rise in power of French ski mountaineering specialists. But they are now eager to do battle!
All starting in Courchevel, which takes over from Flaine and Val Thorens in Pays de Savoie. With the launch of the race for Olympic qualification at the foot of the Le Praz jumping hills, the scene of the events during the 1992 Olympic Games. A nice nod.
“It’s really cool, very exciting!” My objective for the winter will above all be to continue to be consistent and to perform better in the Olympic disciplines (relay and sprint). The Worlds in Morgins in Switzerland (early March) will also be important. I like to be in fairly good shape from the start but I will allow myself a delay because the bulk of the season will be played at the end of February – beginning of March,” underlines Emily Harrop, number one in the discipline, who will be playing at home.
Anselmet: “The Games, I have already positioned myself”
She will not be alone with Axelle Gachet-Mollaret (Arêches-Beaufort), a great specialist in “VR” (Vertical Race), or Célia Perrillat-Pessey (La Clusaz), who is mounting pressure towards the summits.
On the men’s side, Thibault Anselmet (Bonneval-sur-Arc), holding the big crystal globe, will have the sign – recent French Sprint champion in Méribel – even if he should be at the top in a few weeks: “I am prepared to arrive in good shape a little later in the winter because after Courchevel, we have several weeks to wait before the next World Cup. The objective will be to perform in February-March while focusing less on the general ranking. As for the Games, I have already positioned myself to be among the selected ones (two men, two women) but you have to confirm to go. It’s extra pressure but a great additional challenge. »
With him, it will be appropriate to watch this winter Xavier Gachet, Robin Galindo, Gédéon Pochat, Samuel Equy, national champion of Vertical Race on December 8 in Méribel and the entire French team, still in the fight for victory against to the Italians and the Swiss.
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