Mayr and Aymonod crowned champions at Chiavenna-Lagunc

The grand finale of this year’s World Cup at Chiavenna-Lagunc lived up to all expectations. This historic vertical kilometre race was a fitting setting to decide the winners of the short uphill category and the overall World Cup.  See FINAL WORLD CUP for the full list of results.

This course was the world’s first certified vertical kilometre and it’s seen some incredible performances over the years. The course records to beat were Bernard De Matteis’s 30’27” and Andrea Mayr’s 35’40”. Would they be beaten this year?

The list of athletes taking part certainly looked like the course records could be threatened. For the women we had Andrea Mayr (AUT), Sarah McCormack (IRE), Joyce Njeru (KEN), Charlotte Morgan (GBR), Alice Gaggi (ITA), Lucy Murigi (KEN), Timea Merenyi (HUN), Francesca and Erica Ghelfi (ITA), Charlotte Cotton (BEL), Mojca Koligar (SLO), Camilla Magliano (ITA) and Kitti Posztos (HUN). For the men two-time winner Henri Aymonod (ITA), Sandor Szabo (HUN), Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN), Raul Criado (ESP), Petro Mamu (ERI), Timotej Becan (SLO), Alberto Vender (ITA), Tiziano Moia (ITA) and Nadir Maguet (ITA). A mix of short uphill specialists and athletes more comfortable with longer races, but committed to adding to their World Cup points totals.

The women set off first, at 20 seconds intervals, with the top ranking athletes going last. It was an exciting morning seeing the top 3 change as the competition progressed. Eventually it was Andrea Mayr who won by a huge margin, but an agonising 2 seconds outside of her own course record in 35.42. In second place it was Francesca Ghelfi in 39.17 and in third last year’s winner Sarah McCormack in 39.57.

Then it was time for the men, also at 20 second intervals. This was an incredibly close race, with the top 6 all within 90 seconds of each other. It was no surprise to find Henri Aymonod coming out on top – his third victory here in a row – in 31.41. Tiziano Moia was second in 32.19 and Nadir Maguet completed the Italian clean sweep in 32.41.

Full results can be found here. 

So our short uphill winners in this year’s World Cup are Andrea Mayr and Henri Aymonod! And now that the final race has taken place and all of the results and bonuses calculated we can also announce that the World Cup champions for 2021 are Joyce Njeru and Henri Aymonod! Congratulations!