Stand out Cross Country results earn Hinckfuss World Cup debut

The Australian Cross Country Team competed across two major events in Europe over the weekend, recording some stand-out results.

Double Olympian Phillip Bellingham teamed up with Seve de Campo in the Men’s Team Sprint event at the Dresden World Cup in Germany. 

The duo kept up with the lead pack all the way through their semi-final, to place 14th in their semi and 26th overall - only 15 seconds behind the winners over 14 minutes.

As the only Team Sprint World Cup on the schedule this season, the event provided valuable experience in the exchange zone, even though the race in Dresden was in Freestyle and the Olympic Team Sprint is Classic.

The pair also competed in the individual Sprint event with Bellingham finishing 74th and de Campo 80th.

The rest of the Cross Country Team were competing at the OPA Continental Cup in St Ulrich, Austria.

A number of Aussies had stand out results in Austria, including Casey Wright and Aimee Watson who both recorded top-20 results - Watson placing 18th in the Women’s 10km Classic and Wright placing 20th in the Women’s 15km Freestyle Mass Start.

Watson, Wright and Ellen Soehol Lie recorded top-30 finishes in both of their races, with Wright after Watson in the 10km Classic in 23rd and Lie Ellen 27th, and Watson 28th in the 15km Freestyle and Lie-Ellen 29th.

On the men's side Lars Young Vik was the most consistent Australian racer across both days, placing 45th in the 15km Freestyle Mass Start and 48th in the 15km Classic.

However it was young-gun Hugo Hinckfuss with the most improved performance for the meet. Racing in the Open class, the 18-year-old finished 46th in the Men’s 15km Classic, scoring less than 120 FIS points for the first time, which qualifies him to race in his debut World Cup.

Following this weekend’s results and previous races in December, the Snow AUS XC selection committee has selected the following athletes to race the opening events of the World Cup Tour De Ski after Christmas:

Jessica Yeaton
Casey Wright
Aimee Watson

Phillip Bellingham
Seve de Campo
Lars Young Vik
Hugo Hinckfuss

See all Australian results from the St Ulrich OPA Continental Cup HERE