Isabella Holmgren added to her impressive list of world championship wins on Friday. The Orillia, Ont. rider took top honours in the under-23 women’s short track cross country race (XCC) in Pal Arinsal, Andorra.
Making the win all the more special, Isabella was joined on the podium by her sister Ava Holmgren. The two Canadians finished first and third. Emilly Johnston nearly made it an all-Canadian podium, finishing fourth. Ella Maclean-Howell of Great Britain, who finished second, disrupted the Canuck sweep.
In a further sign of the strength of the Canadian women’s cross country program, Ella MacPhee also finished inside the top 15 in the under-23 women’s XCC, in 15th place.
Under-23 men score top 10 finishes
Canada’s under-23 women weren’t alone in their short track success on Friday. Cole Punchard and Owen Clark, both from Ontario, scored top 1os in the under-23 men’s XCC just 45 minutes after the Canadian women’s sensational ride.
Punchard led, finishing fifth and just 12 seconds off the winning time. Owen Clark followed in eighth, 22 seconds further back.
Ian Ackert and Noah Ramsay, also of Ontario, added two more top 20 results for Canada, finishing 18th and 19th, with Zorak Paillé in 21st of 48 starters.
There was no stopping the U.S. Riley’s, though. Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley have dominated the under-23 men’s World Cup this season and were 1-2 again in the under-23 men’s XCC. Amos, who recently earned the U.S.A.’s best-ever men’s XCO finish at the Olympics in Paris in seventh, takes the win and world championship title. Bjorn Riley follows in second, on the same time. Tobias Lillelund of Denmark takes the final podium spot, four seconds back in third.
All five Canadian men, and the Canadian women, return to the startline in Andorra on Sunday for the under-23 XCO races.
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