MADRID, 18 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish long-distance runner Jaume Pueyo has finished in sixteenth position in the sprint event of the cross-country skiing World Cup, which was held at the Theodore Wirth Park resort in Minneapolis (United States), and becomes the first Spaniard in achieving a 'Top 30' in the modality.
The 22-year-old from Seu d'Urgell, a member of the Fons Urgellet Cerdanya Ski Club (CEFUC), not only passed the qualifying tests, but also led his heat. However, he was unable to compete in the semifinal by just 0.42 hundredths in a round won by the Swiss Janik Riebli.
“I am very happy. It is the first 'Top 30' in the World Cup, which in the end was 16th. It is a pity not to have entered the semi-final; I needed to ski a little better in the final stretch, but I have shown courage. “I thank the entire team and those who have supported me. This is just the beginning,” said Pueyo in statements provided by the Royal Spanish Winter Sports Federation (RFEDI).
For his part, the technical director of cross-country skiing at the RFEDI, Ferran Publill, acknowledged that they are “satisfied with the result.” “It was time. We had been behind for a while and we needed to consolidate it. We were frustrated, since it has potential, but unfortunately, it did not arrive. We still hope to achieve better results,” he said.
The victory went to the Norwegian Johannes Klaebo, who this season practically counts his participations as victories. The Scandinavian beat the Italian Federico Pellegrino and the Norwegian Haavard Taugboel in the final sprint.