Austria’s Hochkönig Skyrace once again delivers a world-class event. French athletes Iris Pessey (team Scott Running) and Esteban Olivero (team Inov8) take home the third winner’s bibs of the 2023 Skyrunner® World Series season.
Despite being held on a B-Course, due to snow higher on the course, the adapted 34 km route, with 2,900 meters of elevation gain was fast, fun and technical, managing to satisfy the world’s best Skyrunners here in Maria Alm today.
With top athletes of over 30 nationalities lining up behind the starting line, including the defending 2022 female overall champion and the current overall ranking leader, it was impossible to predict the winners.
In the men’s race, the dark horse of the day, Esteban Olivero stole the show. The French athlete, who has won races including Skyrace des Matheysins and Skyrace du Mercantour in previous years (pre-world series), made a last-minute decision to sign up just days ago – a decision which clearly paid off. After an incredible downhill performance, which saw him move up the rankings from 5th place to first and widen the gap enough to secure his lead, Olivero arrived at the finish line in Maria Alm, where streets were lined with spectators, with a winning time of 3:39:45.
Olivera comments: “I pushed hard to keep up with the leading group in the uphill and took my chance as soon as we hit the downhill as I know this is my strength. It was a great race with many friends from back home. I haven’t done any races that have been in the World Series before but I do plan to do some more this season and compete in the overall ranking.”
In second place, by one minute exactly, was young Italian athlete, Gianluca Ghiano (team Brooks Running), who pulled off his best performance in the circuit to date. Shoma Otagiri of Japan closed the men’s podium after a strong performance from the start, finishing in third place, 30 seconds behind Ghiano.
In the women’s race, Iris Pessey proved she’s not ready to give up her overall lead any time soon. The French athlete stormed into first place from km 3. Although Emma Cook-Clarke of Canada (team Arc’teryx) came close to catching her once or twice, Pessey was the strongest female of today. She crossed the finish line to a large Austrian beer, with a winning time of 4:23:55, five minutes ahead of Cook-Clarke, the 2022 Minotaur Skyrace winner, in second and six minutes ahead of Giulia Pol of Italy (team The North Face) in third.
Pessey comments: “The B-Course was really hard! It was so fast with a lot of elevation gain. I felt strong from the beginning and when I hit the scree in the first uphill, I really found my rhythm. Emma came close and we had a back and forth for a while but I knew that if I stayed focused and pushed hard, I could win. I am even more motivated now for the next race in Zermatt but I know that I have a target on my back as the overall leader.”
The top 20 of Hochkönig Skyrace have gained points towards the overall ranking.
The next stage of the Skyrunner® World Series will be the Madeira Skyrace on June 17th.
