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Updated 28.03.2023

Athletes and organisers gave everything at the 2023 Masters World Cup in Seefeld

900 satisfied athletes, outstanding performances in 13 age groups and a happy organising committee - this is the summary of the Masters World Cup 2023 in Seefeld despite the most difficult conditions with rain and almost 20 degrees plus. SC Monte Kaolino Hirschau and the Seefeld region gave everything to provide fair conditions for the Masters cross-country skiers from all over the world.

Not only the spring sun shone in the Seefeld Sports Arena last week. 900 Masters cross-country skiers from 30 to 97 years of age transformed the World Cup-tested stadium into the centre of cross-country skiing for five days. "I am always fascinated by the enthusiasm of these athletes," says patron Tobias Angerer. "Cross-country skiing is really lived here." Among other things, the former overall World Cup winner was in the stadium on the day of the relay races to cheer on the Masters athletes. In addition to his actual role, he became a coach, a photographer and a popular photo subject. The German teams in particular all wanted a photo with their idol. The men's winning team in the M1 class with Manuel Becker, Valentin Mättig, Daniel Götz and Toni Escher commented humorously on the silver and bronze medallist at major events: "Finally a photo with world champions Because the Masters World Cup, which is held every year, is also regarded as the unofficial world championship for senior:in.

While the term Senior:in sounds almost a little funny for the 30 to 35-year-olds in the M01 and F01 classes, for others it is quite appropriate and, in view of the performances achieved, a distinction. The American Charles French successfully ran the five-kilometre race in the classic technique at the incredible age of 97, Saeki Katsumi from Japan even ran both five-kilometre races in the classic and free technique at the age of 88. As the oldest participants in each race, they are only mentioned as representatives of all the competitors who made themselves, their families and friends proud with their performances and fascinated many an onlooker.

Even more than us athletes, theorganisersdeserve the medals," says Markus Meister, who won three individual races in the M4 class. "The commitment and cooperation of the SCMK Hirschau and the Seefeld region was sensational. During the last two races on the long courses, there were even helpers in the forest who constantly brought snow onto the course with shovels." Former World Cup athlete Valentin Mättig fully agrees with this praise: "Many races have been cancelled this year with significantly more snow because of the conditions. It's unbelievable how this was pulled off." It was simply a well-rounded story, says Thomas Unterfrauner, who had the lead in organising the course on Seefeld's side. "The organisation was perfect, we had a great flow So even 20 degrees plus and rain couldn't harm the event.

In the end, everyone went home from the closing banquet with beaming faces. Some were already planning their trip to the next Masters World Cup in February 2024 in Vuokatti (Finland), others were looking for a hotel for their return to Tyrol's high plateau. "I'll definitely be back, in summer for hiking and in winter for cross-country skiing and skiing," said Trina Hosmer from the USA as she said goodbye.

A short portrait of some of the athletes at the Masters World Cup

Josef Schöberl, St. Peter-Freienstein, StyriaThepassionate cross-country skier was born in 1937 and competes in the M12 class at the age of 86. The Styrian won all three races in Seefeld in the short, middle and long distances in the free technique and said with a laugh: "The victories already feel good, but they are not the first gold medals." He had already won two golds in Minneapolis (USA) in 2018. "I've actually been running all my life," he explains the reason for his successes. "It just keeps you young and fit."

Trina Hosmer, Vermont, USAAsTrina Barton, she was part of the first American women's team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. At that time, she finished 41st in the ten-kilometre classic technique. Today, at the age of 78, she wins her races in the classic and free technique in the F10 class. "But what I am most proud of is that I can still cross-country ski," she says modestly, but then admits to training quite a lot. "On the one hand I love being out on skis, on the other hand I do a lot of yoga." In the relay in Seefeld, she "only" managed second place behind Canada: "That annoys me a bit, because I'm not ambitious at all," she says with a laugh, and the fire from 1972 still flashes in her eyes.

Carolyn Tiernan, California, USAThe72-year-old friend of Hosmer is also part of the US women's relay team that was beaten in Seefeld, but she also takes the silver with humour. Unlike Hosmer, she was never an athlete in the national team - "I just didn't make it". Instead, she studied medicine at Stanford and was the team doctor for the women for a long time. Today, she still works as an emergency doctor and in her free time she makes the cross-country tracks around Mammoth Mountain unsafe. In Seefeld, in addition to the relay medal, she won two gold medals in the F09 class in the free technique races.

Lois Johnston, Yukon, and Sheila Lenes, Canmore - CanadaJohnstonand Lenes have a special history with the Masters World Cup. "Our first trip to the MWC was for our 60th birthday," they recall. "At the time, the races were in Asiago, Italy, and we had no idea how we were going to get there." In the end, they got there and won gold in the women's relay. "This year we thought we had to repeat that - after all, we are 70 now." The journey to Seefeld worked out better and they also managed to repeat the gold medal. The two were never professionals, but they have been competing in cross-country races since their youth. "And we got one of our sons into the national team," they say with a laugh. So there will be plenty of "new blood" at the MWC in the coming years.

Markus Meister, SCKM Hirschau, Germany champion,was considered a local hero at the MWC in Seefeld. The native of Upper Palatinate has not only competed for the Hirschau club since his youth, Seefeld is also something like his second home. As Kästle's Nordic boss, he spends many hours on the trails of the high plateau testing material. "Fortunately, this also gives me a lot of time to pursue my passion for cross-country skiing," he admits. So he was fit enough to compete in Seefeld at relatively short notice. "Actually, I had already put my competition career on the back burner. But then I got the information that Hirschau was doing the MWC in Seefeld - I couldn't resist." However, he did not expect much because the Finns, Swiss and Italians in his class, the M04, were very strong. In the end, however, the former German youth champion triumphed on all courses and won the seven kilometres in the free technique as well as the 20 and 30 kilometres in the classic technique.

Valentin Mättig, Klingenthal, GermanyMättigis one of the youngsters at the MWC, so to speak. Until two years ago, the man from Saxony competed in the World Cup and finished in the points several times. He enjoyed his premiere at the Masters: "It was a nice event, the organisers really did a great job of creating good courses despite the weather." Compared to the World Cup, the environment was of course not as professional, but the organisation and competitions were still top. In terms of sport, Mättig had been fighting several infections in the run-up to the race and therefore wanted to take it easy in Seefeld. "But that didn't really work out," he admits with a laugh. "Because somehow you can't get out of competition mode." In his individual race he gave everything, went along with the attacks of team mate Toni Escher, but in the end had to settle for second place. In the relay they then ran together to victory. "I had hardly trained in the run-up to the race and in the end I drew on my many years as a professional and my technique." In the future, however, that will probably not work so easily: "The higher the age group, the smaller the difference between ex-professional and dedicated hobby runner, so we'll have to train properly again, too."

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