The French Team Shines in the Free Sprint Qualifications at the Trondheim World Championships

The cross-country skiing World Championships kicked off on Thursday in Trondheim, Norway, with the free sprint qualifications. In the men’s race, Lucas Chanavat, Richard Jouve, Jules Chappaz, and Rémi Bourdin all qualified for the quarterfinals. Only Léna Quintin failed to advance in the women’s race.

After a difficult start to the season in sprint qualifications, the French team was able to regain the form of previous years at these World Championships. The four French athletes advanced to the quarterfinals – with races starting at 1:00 PM – and Lucas Chanavat finished in the best position, coming in sixth just 3.53 seconds behind the unbeaten Johannes Klaebo.

Following Chanavat, Jules Chappaz – who secured a bronze medal at the previous World Championships in Planica – delivered a solid performance by finishing 8th in 4.92 seconds, finishing ahead of his compatriot Rémi Bourdin, who came in 11th in 5.05 seconds and is competing in his first World Championships.

On the other hand, the qualification in skating technique proved more challenging for Richard Jouve. The 2022 recipient of the small globe in his speciality managed to secure a spot by finishing in the top 30 (25th with a time of 8.76 seconds) and will have another chance in the final round, where his sprinting strengths could still allow him to shine.

The only disappointment of the morning for the French team was the elimination of Léna Quintin in the women’s race. The French skier finished 32nd, 16.39 seconds behind Sweden’s Jonna Sundling – the reigning World Champion and strong favorite for the upcoming rounds. Meanwhile, another French athlete, Mélissa Gal, managed to secure qualification by finishing 28th in 15.75 seconds and will compete in the subsequent round starting at 12:30.

Gal commented on her performance: “It was tough, but I’m going to give it my all.”