mountaineering – World Cup. “Go to the final of a sprint this winter”: Bazil Ducouret’s ambitions after his first top 10

He was one of the French revelations of the opening weekend of the World Cup in Courchevel. As a neighbor, Bazil Ducouret took number 7^e place in the sprint on Saturday, missing the final by just seven tenths: “It’s clearly the best result of my career,” assured the lively French team. In qualifying, I had a good time despite a passive descent. Thanks to a combination of circumstances, I then found myself in the semi-final where I performed well. I’m happy to see that I can be in the match to get a performance. I have the watts, but I still need to assert myself more in my head. »

“Go to the final of a sprint this winter”

It was with cross-country skiing that the young man from Feissons-sur-Salins began: “It allowed me to learn everything I need to do best to be at my best physically. It was when I arrived at high school that I turned to ski mountaineering. Thanks to my lifelong coach (Robin Baudin), I developed my qualities. »

Very quickly specialized in sprinting, the Savoyard has been on the World Cup circuit for three years. “Until now, my best performance was an 11^e place in Boi Taull (Spain) in 2023. I have never reached a final. This is clearly my goal this winter. »

Winner of the first round of the Coupe de France in Tignes, 2^e of the French sprint championships behind Thibault Anselmet, the 22-year-old Staps student has had an excellent start to the season.

He will try to continue and confirm during the 2^e round of the World Cup, in Azerbaijan (January 10-13) then during the World University Championships in Italy. “I will try to build on my result in Courchevel to perform well in these meetings,” concludes Bazil Ducouret, who also keeps qualification for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in the back of his mind.