September 01, 2015 (Vallnord, Andorra) – A total of 16 women and 32 men qualified for the Eliminator competition, where they raced in heats of four riders at a time, with the top-2 moving on to the next round, until there were only four left to race for the final. The 900-metre circuit saw the riders sprint to get the front position before a series of zig-zag turns that took them into a singletrack wooded section. A steep climb out of the woods onto the finishing straight left a final opportunity for a fast finisher to possibly move up before the line.

Switzerland dominated the women’s heats, putting three of the four riders that made the final – Indergand, defending champion Kathrin Stirnemann and Ramona Forchini. Ingrid Boe Jacobsen (Norway) took the last spot. Indergand took the lead into the first corner and opened a sizable gap up the final climb, to cruise to the line. Boe Jacobsen spoiled a Swiss 1-2 with a final 100 metre sprint that just put her in front of Stirnemann for the silver medal.

“It felt like I was flying,” stated Indergand, “but it was a really tough one. The start was really hard, and then it’s overwhelming me now. Really crazy. Three Swiss in the final and that’s great. For the sprint you really have some luck, and today was my lucky day. This time I have a bit more luck [after finishing second last year].”

The men’s field boasted all of the previous world champions for this discipline – Ralph Naef (Switzerland), Paul van der Ploeg (Australia) and defending champion Fabrice Mels (Belgium). Showing the depth of talent in the field, none of them would make the final. Federspiel was joined in the final by Samuel Gaze (New Zealand), Simon Gegenheimer (Germany) and Kevin Miquel (France).

The Austrian, who had previously won the World Cup and European Championship titles, sprinted to the front on the first descent and never relinquished the lead. Behind, Gegenheimer moved into second place, but was challenged in the final sprint by Gaze, who passed him for silver with a bike throw at the line.

“This was my goal the last three years,” said an ecstatic Federspiel, “and now my dream comes true. I am so happy. This was one of my best races. I am just so happy. For the final my plan was that I ride in front, so I can choose my own lines. This was my favourite type of finish line, at more than 150 metres. Now I have reached my goal., I have all the titles in this discipline. I am really happy.”

Results

Finals

Women

Big Final
1. Linda Indergand * (Switzerland)
2. Ingrid Boe Jacobsen (Norway)
3. Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland)
4. Ramona Forchini * (Switzerland)

Small Final
5. Anne Terpstra (Netherlands)
6. Anna Oberparleiter (Italy)
7. Nadine Rieder (Germany)
8. Chiara Teocchi * (Italy)

1/4 Finals
9. Emily Parkes * (Australia)
10. Greta Seiwald ° (Italy)
11. Iryna Popova (Ukraine)
12. Vendula Kuntova * (Czech Republic)
13. Lisa Mitterbauer (Austria)
14. Mariske Strauss (South Africa)
15. Xiomara Guerrero * (Colombia)
16. Serena Calvetti (Italy)

Men

Big Final
1. Daniel Federspiel (Austria)
2. Samuel Gaze * (New Zealand)
3. Simon Gegenheimer (Germany)
4. Kevin Miquel (France)

Small Final
5. Titouan Perrin Ganier (France)
6. Luca Braidot (Italy)
7. Fabrice Mels (Belgium)
8. Catriel Andres Soto (Argentina)

1/4 Finals
9. Gert Heyns * (South Africa)
10. David Horvath * (Germany)
11. Mirko Tabacchi (Italy)
12. Cameron Ivory (Australia)
13. Matthias Wengelin (Sweden)
14. Jose Luciano Martinez Ronconi ° (Argentina)
15. Philip Buys (South Africa)
16. Paul Van Der Ploeg (Australia)

1/8 Finals
17. Alan Hatherly * (South Africa)
18. Marcel Wildhaber (Switzerland)
19. Lukas Fluckiger (Switzerland)
20. Ralph Naef (Switzerland)
21. Daniele Braidot (Italy)
22. Lorenzo Samparisi * (Italy)
23. Axel Lindh * (Sweden)
24. Kirill Tarassov ° (Estonia)
25. Emil Linde * (Sweden)
26. Jeroen Van Eck * (Netherlands)
27. Maximilian Vieider (Italy)
28. Jan Nesvadba (Czech Republic)
29. Santiago Mesa ° (Colombia)
30. Anton Gogolev (Russian Federation)
31. Jonathan Mejia * (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
32. Patricio Maximiliano Farias Diaz (Chile)

Qualifications

Women
1. Anna Oberparleiter (Italy) 01:40.424 Q
2. Linda Indergand * (Switzerland) 0.338 Q
3. Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland) 2.087 Q
4. Ingrid Boe Jacobsen (Norway) 3.873 Q
5. Ramona Forchini * (Switzerland) 4.477 Q
6. Chiara Teocchi * (Italy) 4.705 Q
7. Nadine Rieder (Germany) 5.748 Q
8. Anne Terpstra (Netherlands) 5.756 Q
9. Lisa Mitterbauer (Austria) 6.770 Q
10. Emily Parkes * (Australia) 6.855 Q
11. Mariske Strauss (South Africa) 7.237 Q
12. Greta Seiwald ° (Italy) 7.375 Q
13. Xiomara Guerrero * (Colombia) 8.214 Q
14. Iryna Popova (Ukraine) 8.717 Q
15. Serena Calvetti (Italy) 9.224 Q
16. Vendula Kuntova * (Czech Republic) 9.836 Q
17. Maaris Meier (Estonia) 10.821
18. Mari-Liis Mottus ° (Estonia) 12.716
19. Kate Courtney * (United States of America) 19.215
20. Maria Fernanda Castro Gonzalez * (Chile) 22.51
21. Ida Jansson ° (Sweden) 57.147
DNS Eva Lechner (Italy)
DNS Serena Tasca * (Italy)
DNS Martina Berta ° (Italy)

Men
1. Fabrice Mels (Belgium) 01:28.777 Q
2. Samuel Gaze * (New Zealand) 0.258 Q
3. Alan Hatherly * (South Africa) 0.643 Q
4. Gert Heyns * (South Africa) 0.826 Q
5. Simon Gegenheimer (Germany) 0.845 Q
6. Kevin Miquel (France) 1.119 Q
7. Catriel Andres Soto (Argentina) 1.224 Q
8. Titouan Perrin Ganier (France) 1.350 Q
9. Matthias Wengelin (Sweden) 2.003 Q
10. Jose Luciano Martinez Ronconi ° (Argentina) 2.166 Q
11. David Horvath * (Germany) 2.222 Q
12. Daniel Federspiel (Austria) 2.289 Q
13. Philip Buys (South Africa) 2.346 Q
14. Paul Van Der Ploeg (Australia) 2.522 Q
15. Mirko Tabacchi (Italy) 2.802 Q
16. Cameron Ivory (Australia) 3.064 Q
17. Marcel Wildhaber (Switzerland) 3.258 Q
18. Lukas Fluckiger (Switzerland) 3.654 Q
19. Luca Braidot (Italy) 3.695 Q
20. Emil Linde * (Sweden) 3.909 Q
21. Ralph Naef (Switzerland) 3.968 Q
22. Jeroen Van Eck * (Netherlands) 4.234 Q
23. Maximilian Vieider (Italy) 4.480 Q
24. Daniele Braidot (Italy) 5.145 Q
25. Jan Nesvadba (Czech Republic) 5.313 Q
26. Lorenzo Samparisi * (Italy) 5.987 Q
27. Axel Lindh * (Sweden) 6.601 Q
28. Santiago Mesa ° (Colombia) 6.968 Q
29. Kirill Tarassov ° (Estonia) 7.071 Q
30. Anton Gogolev (Russian Federation) 7.398 Q
31. Jonathan Mejia * (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) 7.463 Q
32. Patricio Maximiliano Farias Diaz (Chile) 7.480 Q
33. Tymur Rusiia * (Ukraine) 8.351
34. Besik Gavasheli (Georgia) 14.017
35. Javier Eduardo Puschel (Chile) 14.362
36. Heiko Hog * (Germany) 15.068
DNS Andrea Tiberi (Italy)
DNS Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy)
DNS Spencer Paxson (United States of America)

* =U23
° = Junior