Magical Becchis leads Italian one-two with Valerio: the Cuneo ace’s 5th world title

It is still him, the undisputed ace of a discipline he has defined at every level for more than a decade.

Emanuele Becchis has once again been crowned world champion in the individual Sprint, claiming the title for the fifth time in his career after 2015, 2017, the hat-trick in 2021 and his triumph two years ago in Val di Fiemme. The Cuneo ace dominated the event on the third day of the World Championships in Madona, the 200 m skating race in which Italy, already on the podium yesterday with Ghiddi-Boccardi’s silver in the Team Sprint, also secured silver through Michele Valerio, who had already followed his national teammate in a qualification round dominated by the Italians.

The bronze medal went to Latvia’s Lauris Kaparkalejs, back on the podium after Friday’s pairs event and the man who kicked off a great day for the host nation. In the women’s event, Linda Kaparkaleja triumphed ahead of the ever-present Ragnhild Aarekol, with the Norwegian claiming her third podium in as many races at these World Championships, and Slovenia’s Tena Hadzic. It was a decidedly bitter fourth place for Alba Mortagna, the fastest qualifier and dreaming of a repeat of her 2024 world title, as the Belluno native was unable to perform at her usual level in the final.

In the junior events, there was a Norwegian clean sweep among the women, with Emilie Ruud Lia taking gold as expected, ahead of Mille Sophie Aarnes and Synnoeve Kjosavik. Italian athletes Aurora Invernizzi and Nicole Falanelli finished seventh and eighth, respectively, while Stefano Epis and Davide Piccinini were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the men’s event, won by Bruno Bilans, giving Latvia another victory, with silver and bronze going to French brothers Levi and Elliot Maury.