Cufar and Mrazek win in Kranj, overall title to Sarkany

Martina Cufar and Tomaz Mrazek win in Kranj, but overall World Cup Difficulty 2001title to Muriel Sarkany and Alexandre Chabot
For the fourth year running the final event in the World Cup circuit was hosted in Kranj Slovenia. Although Alexander Chabot had already secured overall victory by winning in Kuala Lumpur, the competition was fierce as the Women’s title was still up for grabs and the men’s final ranking still to be established.

The perennial challenge between Martina Cufar and Muriel Sarkany ended with Cufar’s hair breadth victory in Kranj, but with Sarkany’s overall title win: the Belgian’s 80-point second place, added to her other victory and three second places, secured her third overall title win. Chloé Minoret placed an excellent third, followed by Annatina Schultz (4th) and Mi-Sun Go (5th).

Twenty athletes topped out in the men’s qualification. This sometimes happens, and after the “easy” qualification the ensuing semi-final had a stopper crux which eliminated 15 athletes in the space of just four holds: only Tomaz Mrazek, Christian Bindhammer, Iouri Douloub, Peter Bosma, Maksym Petrenko, Alexandre Chabot, Gérôme Pouvreau and François Legrand qualified for the Final.

In the end young Tomaz Mrazek called the shots, ahead of François Legrand, who once again proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Maksym Petrenko placed third (and in doing so takes third place overall in 2001), ahead of title winner Alexandre Chabot and his countryman Gérôme Pouvreau, who places 2nd overall in 2001.

So the curtain falls once more on the World Cup Difficulty, leaving behind the sensation that Sarkany, Cufar and the next generation (spear-headed by Chabot, Pouvreau and Mrazek) dominated all. Long reigning champions such as Hirayama, Legrand and Sansoz (absent this entire season due to injury) don’t however make way for others easily, and it will be interesting to see their reply next season.

On a final note, the World Cup circuit was significantly enriched by the stage in Malaysia. This is an important step for a Cup which aspires to be, as its name implies, a truly international affair. Congratulations to all concerned.



Results Men
Results Women
1. Tomaz Mrazek Martina Cufar 
2. François Legrand Muriel Sarkany
3. Maksym Petrenko Chloé Minoret
4. Alexandre Chabot Annatina Schultz
5. Gérôme Pouvreau Mi-Sun Go 
6. Peter Bosma Bettina Schöpf  
7. Christian Bindhammer   Damaris Knorr  
8. Iouri Douloub Yeleny Busheva






Pictured above, Tomaz Mrazek and Martina Cufar, victorious in Kranj

World Cup Difficulty 2001
  Kuala Lumpur
  Aprica 2001
  Chamonix 2001



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