Andorran Skiers Verdú and Caminal End World Cup Season Pointless in Finals

Andorran alpine skiers Joan Verdú and Jordina Caminal wrapped up their World Cup seasons without earning points in final races, with Verdú missing qualification for the Lillehammer finals and Caminal posting mid-pack results before a DNF.

Verdú failed to finish the season-ending giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, exiting early in the first run. Starting with bib 22, he lost balance on an inside turn in the initial section, went wide, and skipped a gate. The mistake occurred after Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen posted the leading time of 1:10.36, building on Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner's reference mark. Rivals Jonas Stockinger (13th) and Joshua Sturm (23rd) gained ground, pushing Verdú to 26th overall with 60 points—two short of the 25th place required for the Lillehammer finals. He had started the day in 24th or 25th position after an inconsistent season, including a switch to Van Deer skis and finishes in only four of eight starts, with a best of 12th in Soelden. Ahead of the race, Verdú had voiced optimism, saying the course suited him and the team felt motivated after the Olympics.

Caminal raced three speed events in Val di Fassa, Italy, following cancellations in Crans Montana. In Friday's downhill from bib 48, she placed 48th in 1:23.92, 2.52 seconds behind winner Laura Pirovano and 0.97 seconds off 30th-place points, with intermediate splits of 32nd, 43rd, 45th, and 48th. She described it as a solid run after gate errors in prior training, aiming to close gaps to under two seconds against European Cup rivals like Anna Schilcher, Sara Thaler, Inni Holm Wembstad, and Fabiana Dorigo for top-30 contention. Coach Xoque Bellsolà noted she met expectations and showed progress with room to grow.

On Saturday's downhill from bib 46, Caminal improved to 45th in 1:24.87, 3.96 seconds off Pirovano's 1:20.91 and 1.88 seconds behind France's Laura Gauche in 30th (1:22.99). Intermediates: 47th, 48th, 48th, 46th, then 45th. She did not finish Sunday's super-G from bib 56, passing three intermediates (55th at +0.32, 54th at +0.95, 52nd at +2.23) before losing her line midway. Bellsolà gave a favorable review, stating the team was pleased with her World Cup speed form despite lacking full downhill competitiveness, adding she was peaking for the European Cup finals in Saalbach, Austria, on March 20-21.

In other action, Xavier Cornella logged his third-best Far East Cup slalom results at Hakuba, Japan: seventh (1:24.89, 25.38 FIS points, 1.19 seconds behind Aingeru Garay) and 13th (25.80 points). Teammate Bartumeu Gabriel finished 19th and 26th. Gina del Rio competed in the World Cup cross-country sprint in Lahti, Finland.