Ski Mountaineering Winter Olympics LIVE: Sprint

11:00
See you in a few hours for the two women's sprint semifinal heats, which will take place at 12:55 PM! A little later, catch the men's semifinals starting at 1:25 PM!

10:58
The top three from each heat advance, along with three Lucky Losers, i.e., those with the three fastest overall times who were not automatic qualifiers. Therefore, securing a ticket to the semifinals are also: Bu Luer from China, Cameron Smith from the USA, and Phillip Bellingham from Australia.

Semifinal 1
Bu Luer China (CHN)
Thibault Anselmet France (FRA)
Oriol Cardona Coll Spain (ESP)
Jon Kistler Switzerland (SUI)
Hans-Inge Klette Norway (NOR)
Phillip Bellingham Australia (AUS)

Semifinal 2
Maximilien Drion du Chapois Belgium (BEL)
Ot Ferrer Martinez Spain (ESP)
Arno Lietha Switzerland (SUI)
Nikita Filippov Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN)
Cameron Smith USA (USA)
Pablo Giner Dalmasso France (FRA)

10:55
Third and final men's heat, which will determine who we will see again in the semifinals this afternoon. Arno Lietha gains a decent margin right from the outset and, despite some uncertainty on the stairs, still comes out first. Jan Elantkowski follows, but the fight behind is very intense. Between the transition and the descent Thibault Anselmet and Hans-Inge Klette overtake him, placing second and third respectively.
Jan Elantkowski Poland (POL)
Hans-Inge Klette Norway (NOR)
Arno Lietha Switzerland (SUI)
Thibault Anselmet France (FRA)
Finn Hoesch Germany (GER)
Jakub Siarnik Slovakia (SVK)

10:43
Second Heat: the crowd here in Bormio is packed, almost sold out, with many here beanth the copious snowfall to witness the debut of ski mountaineering at the Olympics. The pace is high: Jon Kistler is clearly in the lead even before the steps. He is followed by Nikita Filippov and, just behind, Maximilien Drion. They begin the descent, which widens the gaps but leaves the standings unchanged.
Cameron Smith USA (USA)
Nikita Filippov Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN)
Jon Kistler Switzerland (SUI)
Maximilien Drion du Chapois Belgium (BEL)
Trym Dalset Lodoen Norway (NOR)
Phillip Bellingham Australia (AUS)

10:38
First men's heat. They're off! This first heat starts very fast, the men take short steps with a modern technique, speeding through the first gymkhana section. Then the transition and the treacherous stairs, which always claim some victims. Skis back on for the final uphill sprint, and then, skins removed, the descent as the snow continues to fall. Advancing to the next round: Oriol Cardona Coll, second Ot Ferrer Martinez, followed by Pablo Giner Dalmasso. Michele Boscacci finishes fifth with a deficit of 12.83 seconds.
Bu Luer China (CHN)
Pablo Giner Dalmasso France (FRA)
Oriol Cardona Coll Spain (ESP)
Ot Ferrer Martinez Spain (ESP)
Paul Verbajak Austria (AUT)
Michele Boscacci Italy (ITA)

10:30
Snow continues to fall heavily in Bormio on this debut day of ski mountaineering at the Olympics in the "sprint" format. Many volunteers are now on the course trying to clean and sweep the track. The men's heats are about to start; there are three heats with six competitors each, and they will determine the 12 who will compete in the next round. The top three from each heat advance, along with the three fastest times among the losers from the entire round.

10:15
Ida Waldal, Anna Gibson and Alba de Silvestro the three Lucky Losers. 

SEMIFINAL 1
Ida Waldal Norway (NOR)
Ana Alonso Rodriguez Spain (ESP)
Emily Harrop France (FRA)
Marianne Fatton Switzerland (SUI)
Maria Costa Diez Spain (ESP)
Anna Gibson USA (USA)

SEMIFINAL 2
Marianna Jagercikova Slovakia (SVK)
Tatjana Paller Germany (GER)
Giulia Murada Italy (ITA)
Margot Ravinel France (FRA)
Caroline Ulrich Switzerland (SUI)
Alba de Silvestro Italy (ITA)

10:10
The third heat. It's time for the second Italian in the race, Giulia Murada. And she does not disappoint! She dominates from the start and wins in 3:17.63. Second place goes to Ana Alonso Rodriguez.
Cidan Yuzhen China (CHN)
Maria Costa Diez Spain (ESP)
Ana Alonso Rodriguez Spain (ESP)
Giulia Murada Italy (ITA)
Iwona Januszyk Poland (POL)
Helena Euringer Germany (GER)

10:00
The second heat. Marianne Fatton wins with a time of 3:06.51, followed by Margot Ravinel and Marianna Jagercikova. Alba de Silvestro is fourth with a deficit of 8.81. Remember that the first two from each heat advance, plus the three fastest Lucky Losers.
Alba de Silvestro Italy (ITA)
Marianna Jagercikova Slovakia (SVK)
Marianne Fatton Switzerland (SUI)
Margot Ravinel France (FRA)
Johanna Hiemer Austria (AUT)
Lara Hamilton Australia (AUS)

09:50
The first heat
Rebeka Cully Slovakia (SVK)
Caroline Ulrich Switzerland (SUI)
Emily Harrop France (FRA)
Tatjana Paller Germany (GER)
Ida Waldal Norway (NOR)
Anna Gibson USA (USA)
As expected, the first heat was won outright by Emily Harrop, followed by Tatjana Paller and Caroline Ulrich.

09:30
Sprint is an event making its Olympic debut, a first uphill section where athletes must navigate through various sections marked by poles and figures, forcing them to perform a gymkhana among them. They continue climbing the slope to the first transition zone. Here, the athletes tackle a long, slippery staircase (42 steps) at the top of which is the second transition zone, leading the athletes to face, breathlessly, the final uphill section. At the summit, the final transition, skins off, and the athletes descend quickly on the fresh snow that is still falling. It's all tackled at impressive paces, in oxygen debt, with times just over 3 minutes.

09:00
It's snowing, hard, in Bormio this morning and there couldn't be a more fitting start to ski mountaineering's Olympic debut. Two medal events today, women’s sprint and men’s sprint, starting with the first women's heat at 9:50.