Midol and Berger-Sabbatel already in sight

Bastien Midol and Marielle Berger-Sabbatel are both on the third step of the podium of the opening round of the World Cup skicross disputed on Saturday at Secret Garden (China), in the region of Zhangjiakou, on the course of the Olympics.

"The podium is beautiful but there is disappointment to have cracked so close to the end", reacted Midol, well ahead of the final before an error at the end of the course allowing the Russian Sergey Ridzik to pass and by the champion. Olympic reigning Canadian Brady Leman.

"It was a great discovery of the future Olympic site and of this track, not the most technical that we have seen. It's perfect to start the season like that", appreciated Berger-Sabbatel, dominated by the two top names. of the discipline, the Swedish Sandra Naeslund and the Swiss Fanny Smith.

The French Marielle Berger-Sabbatel finished 3rd behind the Swedish Sandra Näslund and the Swiss Fanny Smith in skicross, test event of the Beijing Games in Zhangjiakou, November 27, 2021 WANG Zhao AFP

Olympic champion in 2014, Jean-Frédéric Chapuis fell in the round of 16, without suffering an injury.

On the same course, the Blues of snowboardcross disappointed Sunday: without the Olympic vice-champion Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau, injured, Chloé Trespeuch (5th) and Merlin Surget (10th) were the best French.

Jouve fit

Richard Jouve was the most visible Blue for the opening of the Nordic ski season in Ruka (Finland).

The cross-country skier took a convincing 4th place in the classic format sprint on Friday, before an astonishing 18th place in the 15 km classic on Saturday, he who is a sprint specialist.

"I have a good record of my weekend, 4th is a very good result despite a little disappointment in this final. The form is there as the result of Saturday showed", he explained to the 'AFP.

"I know that I can be very good at distance, I like to train there, I have always worked on it. I have put a lot of things in place to be more complete. And it can give me ideas for it. Olympic relay (four-man, in addition to the two-man sprint relay). I changed a few details to be in good shape early in the season, even if the peak is scheduled for the Olympics. This weekend will give me confidence . "

Among the "distancers", Hugo Lapalus was the most comfortable.

The best youngster of the World Cup last winter took 13th place in the 15 km classic on Saturday then 15th place in the 15 km skate pursuit on Sunday, a race shunned by the Norwegians because of the polar cold in Ruka (around minus 20 degrees).

Frenchman Hugo Lapalus in front of his compatriot Clément Parisse competing in the Skiathlon of the Nordic Ski Worlds Oberstdorf, February 27, 2021 Odd ANDERSEN AFP / Archives

In Nordic combined, Laurent Mühlethaler finished 16th, 27th and 15th of the three races despite a level of jumping below expectations the first days.

On Sunday, he was provisionally leading the jump before the competition was canceled because of the wind, in favor of the reserve jump made on Thursday.

In special jump, Joséphine Pagnier was the best tricolor in Nizhny Tagil (Russia), finishing 19th on Friday then 21st on Saturday.

© 2021 AFP