The wet asphalt set the stage for thrilling finals on day two of the Road World Championships in Sulmona, the city of Confetti. Spectators gathered to witness epic races as skaters flew around the 300m circuit.

Today, the Juniors will face off in the 15,000m elimination, while the Seniors compete in the 10,000m points race, followed by the exciting 1 Lap showdown.

Although it wasn’t raining, the wet asphalt created challenging conditions. In the Juniors Women, there were no big surprises, with two Colombians dominating the race, closely followed by Team France throughout. So Maria Vargas skated a brilliant last lap, securing an easy win ahead of the competition. Behind her the French Violette Braun, third place for Camila Giraldo Vasquez.

Metodej Jilek continued his gold streak, winning his fifth spectacular race. He started strong, attempting to break away early. This time, Ryan Dawson from the USA was ready, following closely behind. At lap thirty eight, the group caught up, and from then on, the American team took the lead, focusing on teamwork. But with just over a lap to go, Jilek made his move, leaving no chance for the others and claiming his fifth gold. Ryan Dawson secured second, while Adrian Alonso Garcia from Spain took third.

In the Senior Women's point race, it was an intense battle. Gabriela Rueda dominated from the start, collecting most of the points. But the other steps of the podium were all set in the last few laps. Team Germany’s Angelina Otto and Larissa Gaiser executed a flawless strategy, earning Larissa a silver medal and Angelina a strong fourth place. Amazing performance also from Team France which allowed Alison Bernardi to took the third place. 

For the Senior Men, it was fast and furious, just as expected. Bart Swings set a blistering pace from lap one. The race remained unpredictable, with different skaters attempting to take control. With his experience, Swings seemed to manage the situation well. Jason Suttles delivered impressive attacks and moves, holding the lead with five laps to go. But with just three laps remaining, Swings launched his decisive attack, securing the victory. Jason finished second, while Livio Wenger claimed his first world medal, finishing third.

The final event of the night was the spectacular 1-Lap for Seniors. Due to the wet asphalt, several top contenders were eliminated during the semi-finals and qualifiers after slipping or falling.

In the Senior Women’s final, we saw Helen Sorto Rivera from Guatemala, Mathilde Pedronno from France, Colombia with Maria Fernanda Timms, and Melissa Rebolledo. The Colombians proved unbeatable, taking both gold and silver, with Pedronno securing the bronze.

In the Senior Men’s final, there was a surprise winner: Ron Pucklitzsch from Germany. He seemed completely at ease on the wet surface, flying to victory ahead of Italy’s Vincenzo Maiorca, the favorite. Colombian’s Jhon Tascon Holguin earned the bronze.

With this, the races in Sulmona’s stunning Piazza Garibaldi come to the end. These moments, where sport and history link, will be remembered forever.

Find all the information on www.worldskategamesitalia2024.org

And all the results here: here

15000m elimination

Junior Women

🥇 Maria Vargas – COL 

🥈 Violette Braun - FRA

🥉 Camila Giraldo Vasquez – COL.   

Junior Men

🥇Metodej Jilek – CZE  

🥈Ryan Dawson - USA

🥉 Adrian Alonso Garcia – ESP

10000m points

Senior Women

🥇 Gabriela Rueda - COL

🥈 Larissa Gaiser- DEU

🥉 Alison Bernardi – FRA 

Senior Men

🥇Bart Swings – BEL 

🥈 Jason Suttles – BEL

🥉Livio Wenger - SWI

1 lap + d

Senior Women

🥇 Melissa Rebolledo - COL

🥈 Maria Fernanda Timms – COL

🥉 Mathilde Pedronno - FRA

Senior Men

🥇Ron Pucklitzsch - GER

🥈Vincenzo Maiorca - ITA

🥉 Jhon Tascon Holguin - COL