“Historic” win for Swiss cross-country skier

Dario Cologna on Sunday became the first Swiss ever to win the overall cross-country ski World Cup.

“It makes history for Switzerland and is a great day for me,” he told journalists after his win in the last race of the season, a 15 kilometers handicap in Falun in Sweden.

Switzerland’s previous best result in the discipline was the 7th place gained by Andy Grünenfelder in 1984.

Cologna, who turned 23 earlier this month, was already the hot favourite after his win in the 20 kilometer pursuit on Saturday.

He finished the season with 1344 points. Petter Northug of Norway came second with 1217.

The World Cup crowns a successful season for Cologna, who was almost unknown at the beginning of it. In January he was the unexpected winner of the Tour de Ski cross-country event in Val di Fielle in Italy.

Andrianno Iseppi, head of cross-country in the Swiss Ski Federation, has described him as “the talent of the century.”

Cologna’s success follows World Cup successes for two other Swiss skiers this season: Didier Cuche won a crystal globe for the giant slalom and Carlo Janka won the super-combined.