2022 XC Continental Cup Winners Crowned

 Following a five-race 2022 domestic Cross Country season, Katerina Paul and Seve de Campo have been crowned Australia’s XC Continental Cup winners.

Taking out her third XC Continental Cup title, Katerina Paul won the women’s championship with a total of 390 points.

Paul won the two Sprint events at the Australian Open at Falls Creek and Australian Championships at Perisher. She placed second in the 10km Freestyle at Falls Creek, and third in the 5km Classic at Perisher. She also secured 50 points with her 4th place finish in the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet last weekend, securing her the top spot on the Continental Cup standings.

Phoebe Cridland was second with 280 points following one gold and three bronze results this season. Zana Evans was third with one gold and two silver medals for a total of 260 points.

Paul said that she has loved being at home for her first domestic season since 2020, and claiming the Continental Cup title was the cherry on top of her consistent and productive domestic season.

“It means a lot [to win the Continental Cup] after the time I spent away during COVID-19 when I was stuck over in Switzerland,” she said.

“I had missed training and racing at home and more importantly I felt like I missed out on being part of the Australian skiing community. To be back on top in the sprint racing feels good and I had missed the joy it brings me.”

Reflecting on the season, Paul said her progress in the Freestyle 10km event has been a season highlight.

“I enjoyed both the classic and the skate sprint events a lot, however as far as my development goes, I am very happy with my efforts in the 10km skate race [at the Australian Open] where I ended up second and only 9 seconds behind. It is by far my least favourite event, so progress is always welcome in the 10km skate!”

The men’s Cup championships was a tight battle, with Seve de Campo securing his first Continental Cup title on 385 points ahead of Lars Young Vik on 270 and Bentley Walker Broose on 237

De Campo won the Australian Championships 10km Classic at Perisher, and secured  consistent silver medals in the two sprint events and 15km Freestyle at Falls Creek. He placed fifth at the Hoppet, with 45 points, which was enough to claim the Cup title, after finishing 2nd in 2022 and 3rd in 2020.

In what was Vik’s first Aus XC Continental Cup season, his consistent performances, with two golds, two bronze and a fourth place finish, kept the pressure on de Campo all season.

De Campo said winning the Continental Cup has been a goal of his for a while, and it was exciting to achieve that goal against such a high quality and competitive men's field.

“It certainly feels like a long time coming,” he said. “It's been one of my goals for a few years now and so it definitely feels good to get it done. I've been pipped on home soil a lot in the last few years so it's nice to finally get a win in Perisher and take the overall cup.

“It was a really close season with so many good skiers showing up and it was especially cool to see such depth coming through from the younger skiers.”
 
The 24-year-old said the highlight of the season was winning his first national tite in the 10km Classic at Perisher, and competing amongst hundreds of athletes in the Kangaroo Hoppet.
 
“It was definitely a well paced race to get my first national title in the 10km in Perisher,” he said.
 
“The Hoppet as well was really special, we couldn't have dreamt for better conditions and despite the top result skiing away from us on the paralyzer, it was just an amazing day to have back after a couple years of COVID.
 
“It was a real tribute to the strength of this Australian XC skiing community.”
 
Both de Campo and Paul will not turn their focus to the Northern Hemisphere winter season.
 
“We have some early World Cups on the plan before targeting good results at World University Games in Lake Placid, USA and World Champs in Planica, Slovenia,” de Campo said.
 
Paul said she will rejoin her Swisse Team in Europe as she aims to qualify for the World Championships.

“My focus has always been on the Marathon Ski Classics racing I am doing with a professional team in Switzerland, however I am excited by the prospects of the Classic Sprint at World Championships in Slovenia. If I do compete it would be my 4th Senior World Championships,” Paul said.

See all standings in the Women’s Continental Cup HERE, and the Men’s HERE.