INTERVIEWS XC ELITE WOMEN

Dahle Gunn-Rita, NOR: today is a perfect day for me, thanks to Livigno and the organisation. This year I celebrated many successes: european champion, the World Cup and the marathon. Today I confirmed that I can still do well in races, thanks to my family which supported me today, here. I will continue the races, until the Olympics in 2008: this might be good or bad news for my rivals. I love XCO, but I must say that the marathon are becoming more and more demandino, the level gets closet to XCO. In the future, my intention is to continue the training on road bike with the Italian team, this helps me a lot in MTB and I like very much the girls in my team.

Wloszczowka, Maja, POL: this is my second silver medal in the World Championships, but I like it very much, maybe I didn’t expect it. The secret of my success is our coach: he is here now, I’d like to thank him. Our success as a team is also because we train together with the Juniors, they can learn a lot from our experience. That’s why we are a strong team. 

Heinzi, Petra, SUI: after my success in the marathon in 2005, this medal makes me feel very happy. This is a perfect day for me, too. I spent a whole week at Muottas Muragl, Engadine (2300 m above sea level), and came last Tuesday to Livigno. The altitude hasn’t been a problem. I started to race at age of 28, when I met my coach. I am 34 now, and I still feel young, I like races and I will carry on also in the next years.

CURRICULUM XC WINNERS ELITE WOMEN

WHO IS DAHLE

The Norwegian Gunn-Rita Dahle was born on the 10th February 1972 and her carrier with Mtb can be divided in two parts: she gained the third position at the European in Bassano del Grappa in 1996 and was among the first at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. After this first period she had some physical problems which did not permit her to get some higher positions in her two passions, Mtb and road cycling. She turned back to the tops after 2000 and since 2002 she gained some series of victories: three World title XC (02/04/05), the Olympic title in Athens 2004, four  European titles (from 2002 until 2005), two World Cups (from 2003 until 2005) and  two World Marathon titles (2004-2005). The last time she did not get the gold was at the Cup 2005 in Spa-Francorshamps (Bel), where she gained the silver medal.

CURIOSITIES XC ELITE WOMEN

THE AVAREGE AGE OF FEMALE CROSS COUNTRY

The annotation at the end of the female cross country race, won by the Norwegean Dahle refers to the average age of the athletes on the long and difficult track at Livigno. The first 10 athletes are older than 31 and it shows how difficult is for the younger athletes to reach their top colleagues. The youngest is the silver medal, the Polish Wloszczowska, 22 years old. Behind her the other U23 (this category will have its own competition next year) are the German Morath, who gained the 11th position and the Italian, azzura Lechner who gained the 15th  position.