This Wednesday, Juan del Campo achieved a creditable 20th place in the slalom of the European Cup being held this week in … the Spanish resort of Baqueira Beret, snow that the Bilbao native knows perfectly since it was there when, at the age of three, he had his first contact with skiing. Now, at 31 years old, the Biscayan leaves the Catalan Pyrenees with a good taste in his mouth before the break forced by the celebration of the Milan-Cortina Games. The Olympic event, from which Del Campo was left out to the detriment of Quim Salarich, begins this Wednesday with the first curling matches.
The Basque Team athlete had just suffered tremendous disappointment the day before, as he was four tenths and seven places away from joining the top thirty and competing in the second round. He achieved it this time by overcoming an irregular start. He came out a little unbalanced and had problems in the first doors. Del Campo, who started in box 47, completed his descent in 27th place but still with a good handful, close to thirty, of skiers to compete. The Bilbao native resisted under the sunny morning, managing to be 29th, one tenth ahead of the cutoff. This would allow him to act second in the definitive test.
In the second, with the snow clean for him, Del Campo occupied the seats reserved for the first three for a long stretch. Despite the good conditions, nerves played tricks on many. So much so that of the first five to leave, only the Biscayan completed the route. He progressively fell back in positions, but ahead of him some of the favorites were also out of the fight. That is until he was twentieth, his best result of the season. A couple of weeks ago he managed to be 27th in the World Cup event in the iconic Kitzbühel event, Austrian Alps.
Slovenia and Norway
After the Olympic Games there will be a couple of events left to end the alpine ski season. Del Campo, at the expense of knowing if he will attend any other European Cup event, will be in Kranjska Gora (Slovenia, next to the border with Italy and Austria) on March 8 and in Lillehammer (Norway) on the 25th of the same month. The latter city, north of Oslo, hosted the 1994 Winter Games.
Quim Salarich finished ahead of Juan del Campo. The Catalan, born in Vic 32 years ago, was thirteenth at the Stadium Fernández Ochoa, a venue where a year ago he managed to be sixth. Salarich is now focusing on the Games, where he will also be the flag bearer at the opening ceremony on Friday alongside skater Olivia Smart, who graduated in Beijing 2022. For Salarich it will be his third consecutive Olympic event after Pyongyang 2018, where Del Campo was also present. The Baqueira test, which has established itself as a great attraction on the circuit, was won by the Italian Tomasso Saccardi, who showed off to take a second and a half over the Frenchman Hugo Desgrippes, winner on Tuesday.
