World Cup Standings with 3 Races To Go
With 3 races remaining in the Valsir World Cup, one per category, we take a look at the standings.
The overall Valsir World Cup standings take into account an athletes best 6 results in any category, while the standings in each category, Classic, Short and Long, are decided based on an athletes 3 best results in that category.
With perfect records, 3 Gold Label wins giving a total 150 points, Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno have the Classic category sewn up. With 20 points available for a win at the Silver Label Smarna gora Race, Lucy Murigi can still catch Camilla Magliano in 2nd place in the women's standings, though if Murigi doesn't score Adéla Stránská could move onto the podium if she were to take the win.
The World Cup regulations detail how a points tie at the end of the season will be decided:
5.6. If athletes have the same number of points, their final position will be determined by reference to their highest race positions. Therefore, athletes with equal points, but one has a 1st position and the other has not, the athlete with the 1st position takes priority. If both have a first position, the next superior position is compared and so until a priority is obtained. If this method does not resolve the final positions, the prize money for the final positions will be added together and divided by the number of athletes involved.
The men's podium is decided; Kipngeno is 70 points clear of Philemon Kiriago, who is 28 points clear of Zak Hanna, who is 22 points clear of Petro Mamu.
The Long category podiums are wide open! In the women's standings, only the top 3, Joyce Njeru, Lucy Murigi and Camilla Magliano have scored in more than one race. With 50 points available for the Gold Label Zumaia Flysch Trail, there are 6 runners who could conceivably claim first place, with the possibility of a podium finish open much further down the standings.
In the men's standings Petro Mamu and Philemon Kiriago are the top 2, having scored in 3 races, with Kipngeno 3rd having scored in 2. They are the 3 who are still in with a shot of overall victory in this category, while there is podium potential for a further 6 athletes, including Spaniards Andreu Blanes and Raúl Criado, who might look to exploit the home field advantage in the Basque Country.
The men's standings are a 3 way tie! Kipngeno, Kiriago and Hanna all have 100 points heading towards the Valsir World Cup Final at Chiavenna-Lagunc. Behind them it's all or nothing for Daniel Osanz. Anything less than a victory will see him finish off the podium but if he can follow up his Canfranc-Canfranc VK victory, and the top 3 fail to score, he coud still find himself on the top step of the podium. Unlikely, but possible.
The women's race will be a mighty showdown! Njeru leads, but if Andrea Mayr takes the win in Chaivenna then Njeru will need to finish second to tie for the overall win. Third place Madalina Florea will be looking both up and down the standings, hoping to catch Mayr should the Austrian falter, while trying to do enough to stay clear of Camilla Magliano who sits just behind her in 4th.
It's worth noting, the bonus points available at the Valsir World Cup Final, 5 for every athlete in the top 15, only count in the overall standings, not the Short category standings.
With 6 Gold Label race wins apiece, Patrick Kipngeno and Joyce Njeru have already done enough to end the season with a maximum score of 300 points. The only room for improvement is for them to take the 5 bonus points for the win at Chiavenna-Lagunc, and finish with a better-than-perfect 305.
Behind them it's wide open and with prize money available down to 12th place there are still a huge number of athletes in with a chance. Motivation remains high for the last 3 races of the season!
Photos by Marco Gulberti.