Today, the 10th edition of the Youth Skyrunning World Championships kicked off in Croatia with a lung-busting VERTICAL – a perfect VK with 980m vertical climb over 4.5 km reaching 1,264m altitude. Aged 15 to 23, these young skyrunners, including those new to the sport, showed their guts in the fight for the medals and their talent for this unique discipline.
Spain, Norway and Japan came out on top in the country ranking while Portugal took their first gold medal in Youth Championships. Close-on 200 athletes from countries as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Canda, Japan and USA participated today, making for tough competition and, as usual, great camaraderie.
Fastest time on the course today was Swiss athlete Fiorillo Camesi in 37’37” but his gold medal didn’t come easily after battling with Spaniard Lluis Puigvert over the last 100 metres to the summit. Puigvert closed just three seconds later for the silver, his tenth medal at the Youth Championships after five editions.
“I started with Lluis and Maximilian because I knew they would be the right guys to follow, since we were all on the podium last year,” commented Camesi. “We kept a good pace and when I was alone with Lluis I tried to drop him, but couldn’t. In the last 100m we were together and kept passing each other, but on the last steps I was able to pass him and win. I’m usually bad at sprints, but this time it went very well! I’m very proud of this medal, as I know that it comes from all the hard training!”
Austrian Maximilian Meusburger took the bronze in 39’46”.
Camesi and Puigvert were undoubtably the fastest on the course today, but the third overall time was set by Youth C gold medallist Isak Drøpping from Norway. Fifth overall was Japan’s Misora Yabana in the B category.
Drøpping won the Youth C category ahead of Spaniard Biel Sagues. The Spaniard had to settle for silver for the first time since his debut in 2022. Third in the category was Eloy Martinez also from Spain.
The B category was dominated by Japan’s Misora Yabana and closed almost 30 seconds over Spain’s Joan Guiteras and 1’12” over Italy’s Marco Magistro who confirmed a podium spot after last year’s gold medal.
The Youth A category was decided in the span of just a few seconds with Norwegian Even Torkildsen winning in 42’30”, ahead of Swede Aron Lundqvist and Gerard Costa from Spain – a podium with just 26 seconds separating the first from the last.
In the women’s U23 race, Spain’s Laia Calzada pocketed the gold after a tough battle with Italian Martina Pozzi. “I’m super stocked about this silver! I was hoping to confirm last year’s gold, but I’ve had an injury lately that almost forbade me to walk, so I trained very little and very late, so this result is incredibly positive.”
Calzada’s team mate, Nuria Llansó secured the bronze.
As often in the past, the fastest time on the course was by a Youth C runner. Today, Spaniard Emma Mendez won the category in an impressive 45’38” – almost 4’30” faster than Calzada. Sinéad Farrel from Ireland and Valeria Hernandez, Spain, took the silver and gold respectively.
Thanks to Margarida Araújo, Portugal took their first-ever gold medal since the Youth World Championships were launched in 2016. “I’m overwhelmed with joy to win this medal. I come from a mountainous region in Portugal, but the mountains here are very different and I didn’t know what to expect. Everyone keeps telling me I’m the first ever Youth World Champion from Portugal, but I haven’t realised it yet!” Second was Rina Ogake from Japan who confirmed her third silver medal, after 2024 and 2025. Was she satisfied with her silver medal? “No, I wanted to win so will have to run harder next time!” she commented.
Nuria Calzada from Spain took the bronze.
The youngest category saw Norwegian Åse Marie Halaas running side by side with Sawa Machida from Japan, with the Norwegian clinching the gold and Machida settling for silver. Both Halaas and Machida were faster than Araújo. The bronze went to American Kendal Bowen.
Overall, 75 medals are at stake, split across four age categories – Youth A (15-16), Youth B (17-18), Youth C (19-20) and U23 (21-23). Individual, combined and national titles will also be awarded.
Today’s 10-year anniversary of the Youth Skyrunning World Championships saw repeat performances of top talent show their skills, together with new talent aged 15 years and upwards – some in their first-ever Vertical Kilometer – an inspiration for all.
The weekend’s events continue with an anti-doping panel on Saturday, part of the WADA educational programme with a view to educating all skyrunners to safeguard their future.
The weekend’s main event on Sunday, May 10, is dedicated to the SKY discipline with courses of 12.5 and 1,150 vertical climb and the full course, 20.5 km long with 1,450m vertical climb over rocky ridges to reach to 1,622m altitude, always with spectacular views of the Adriatic below rewarding the runners.
U23 MEN
Gold – Fiorillo Camesi (SUI) 37’37”
Silver – Lluis Puigvert (ESP) 37’40”
Bronze – Maximilian Meusburger (AUT) 39’46”
U23 WOMEN
Gold – Laia Calzada (ESP) 50’05”
Silver – Martina Pozzi (ITA) 50’36”
Bronze – Nuria Llansó (ESP) 51’26”
Youth C MEN
Gold – Isak Drøpping (NOR) 39’10”
Silver – Biel Sagués (ESP) 40’55”
Bronze – Eloy Martinez (ESP) 41’39”
Youth C WOMEN
Gold – Emma Mendez (ESP) 45’38”
Silver – Sinéad Farrel (IRL) 50’45”
Bronze – Valeria Hernandez (ESP) 55’06”
Youth B MEN
Gold – Misora Yabana (JPN) 40’50”
Silver – Joan Guiteras (ESP) 41’28”
Bronze – Marco Magistro (ITA) 42’02”
Youth B WOMEN
Gold – Margarida Araújo (POR) 52’03”
Silver – Rina Ogake (JPN) 54’06”
Bronze – Nuria Calzada (ESP) 54’40”
Youth A MEN
Gold – Even Torkildsen (NOR) 42’30”
Silver – Aron Lundqvist (SWE) 42’53”
Bronze – Gerard Costa (ESP) 42’56”
Youth A WOMEN
Gold – Åse Marie Halaas (NOR) 51’39”
Silver – Sawa Machida (JPN) 51’45”
Bronze – Kendal Bowen (USA) 54’06”
As usual the events are overseen by ISF referees and WADA anti-doping tests will be carried out.
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