Andorran Ski Mountaineers Secure Seventh in World Cup Mixed Relay Final

Andorran ski mountaineers Max Palmitjavila and Lea Ancion ended the World Cup season with a seventh-place finish in the mixed relays at the Villars-sur-Ollon finale in Switzerland, securing Andorra's 10th position overall in the discipline with 154 points from three of five events.

The FAM pair earned a spot in the A final through solid qualifying performances. Palmitjavila posted the 10th-fastest time of 11:59.9, 2:30.3 behind the leader, while Ancion clocked 13:05.8 for 16th place, plus a three-second penalty that left her 2:52.9 off the pace set by Austria's Johanna Hiemer. In the final among 11 teams, they combined for 40:57.1, finishing 7:01.5 behind winners Spain's Ana Alonso and Oriol Cardona. Italy's Alba de Silvestro and Michele Boscacci took silver, with France's Célia Perillat-Pessey and Thibaut Anselmet in third.

The relays capped a challenging weekend that opened with the sprint, where Oriol Olm, Palmitjavila, and Ancion advanced to the quarter-finals from qualifying. In the men's event, Olm ranked 24th in 2:46.38 before improving to 2:37.2 for fourth in his quarter-final heat; Palmitjavila was 29th in 2:48.20 qualifying, then fifth in 2:47.4 at quarters. Ancion qualified 23rd in 3:41.82 and placed sixth in her heat at 3:39.5. Marc Casanovas finished 41st in 3:11.05 and did not progress. Final sprint results saw Olm in 16th, Palmitjavila 22nd, and Ancion 27th.

Olm's quarter-final featured a controversial referee call. Europe led the sprints, with Switzerland's Jon Kistler winning the men's ahead of Anselmet and Spain's Cardona, while France's Emily Harrop topped the women's over Margot Ravinel and Italy's Giulia Murada.

The outcomes highlight Andorra's gains in a tough field as the team eyes upcoming competitions.