Skier Jaume Pueyo, born in Badalona but raised in La Seu d'Urgell and a member of CEFUC (Cross-Country Ski Club Alt Urgell-Cerdanya), secured a historic seventh position in the free sprint event of the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup held in Oberhof, Germany.
This result is the best achieved by a Spanish athlete in this discipline in the last 26 years, surpassing the milestone set by Juan Jesús Gutiérrez, who finished third in 2000 in Lamoura Mouthe, France.
“"I had good feelings. We needed this result, both myself and the team. I am happy; in the quarterfinals, I skied intelligently, I made it to the semi-final, and I was truly satisfied there."
Pueyo, a free sprint specialist, started the competition strongly, achieving ninth place in the qualifier. In the heats, he competed against big names like the Norwegians Filip Skari and Mathias Holbaek, making a decisive attack on the final climb to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time this season. His teammate, Marc Colell, finished 34th.
Although he could not reach the final, having to tackle the final straight from the outside lane, the seventh position provides a major morale boost ahead of the upcoming Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympic Games.
“"We are very happy. We needed a result like this. The start of the season has been very difficult, and this is good for our morale heading into the Olympic Games. Our self-esteem is now through the roof."
