WORLD CHAMPION! 🌈
The dream has come true. Alessandra Keller is world champion. Keller wins gold in XCC at the World Championships on home soil in Zermatt. The 29-year-old wins her first World Championship gold in the elite category in spectacular way – her third World Championship title overall!
Alessandra Keller did it! After an incredibly intense race, Keller pulled away slightly from Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds in the final climb at the foot of the Matterhorn and held on to her small lead until the finish. In a magnificent atmosphere in the finish arena in Zermatt, Keller won in front of a frenetic crowd, four seconds ahead of Rissveds. Jennifer Jackson (Canada) won bronze.
At the finish line, Alessandra Keller was overwhelmed: “It’s unbelievable. The crowd. The atmosphere. The emotions. I’m coming off an injury-plagued winter and winning gold at the World Championships on home soil. It’s crazy. I’ve always wanted this XCC title. It’s amazing that everything has come together here. I will wear the rainbow stripes with great pride,” said Keller, summing up her emotions.
As always in moments of success, Alessandra Keller also thought of the people behind her achievement: “I fought until the very last meter because I put pressure on myself beforehand. It’s just brilliant—for the team, for the fans, for everyone who works so hard behind the scenes and believes in me. It’s a huge reward for everyone who contributed to this success. It’s wonderful that I can give something back with this title.”
Forster and Albin strong, but not rewarded
Lars Forster and Vital Albin also put in strong performances, but were not rewarded. While Lars Forster was consistently between 6th and 12th place, Vital Albin did not get off to a good start. Albin then set about catching up and was ultimately classified in 16th place. While Forster was in contention for a medal for a long time, he was involved in a crash on the final lap and fell back. Only 18th place.