Latvian long-distance runner Patrīcija Eidukas reached the final stage of the sprint race in the fourth stage of the World Cup season in Davos on Saturday, stopping in the first round or the quarterfinals.
In the freestyle competition, Eiduka skied 1.5 kilometers in two minutes and 44.96 seconds in qualifying, which was 7.75 seconds slower than selection winner Nadine Fendrich from Switzerland. The result presented gave Eiduka 20th place and 59.16 International Ski Federation (FIS) points.
The fastest 30 of 39 qualified skiers compete in the finals, and Eiduka competed in the first of five quarterfinals. Eva Urevca from Slovenia won this ski race, beating American Jessie Diggins by 0.42 seconds. Rosie Brennan finished 2.25 seconds off the winner, but lost another 1.34 seconds to Eiduka, who was in fourth.
The winners of the first two places in each ski and two other “lucky losers” with the fastest results entered the semifinals. Eiduka’s finish in two minutes and 38.84 seconds was not enough to clear the quarterfinal barrier.
On Sunday at 11:45, 20 kilometers of freestyle skiing will start with a separate start.
Eiduka is the only Latvian representative at this stage, but the best national skier in the men’s competition, Raimo Vīgants, will compete in the Scandinavian Cup this weekend in Esteshund, Sweden.
In the previous stage in Beitustelen, Norway, Eiduka did not start, but this did not prevent her from maintaining her status as leader of the U-23 classification, as not even her fiercest competitors in this competition participated in the stage.
In the first stage of the World Cup, Eiduka took 39th place in the sprint classic, 30th in the ten-kilometer classic and 21st place in the 20-kilometer freestyle pursuit. In the second stage in Lillehammer, she was 11th in the ten-kilometer distance with separate start in freestyle, 12th in sprint freestyle and took 25th place in the classic-style distance of 20 kilometers with joint start.
The prestigious “Tour de Ski” series will kick off at the end of the year. This season’s world championship is scheduled at the turn of February and March in the Slovenian town of Planačić.
