Anna-Maria Perkmann showed a strong performance. © Konstantin Höhne

Unicycle World Championships in the USA: Rain of medals for South Tyroleans

South Tyrol's unicyclists competed against the best in the world at the Unicycle World Championships in Bemidji in the US state of Minnesota from July 14 to 26. They cleaned up in the track and especially in the ammunition disciplines and won several World Championship medals. Anna-Maria Perkmann from Naturno won three gold medals alone.

July 25, 2024

From: sn

The Unicycle World Championships (Unicon21) took place in the USA from July 14 to 26. South Tyrolean athletes from the SSV Naturns and AC Villanders clubs also took part. They did very well in the Muni competitions (mountain unicycle, unicycle off-road).

In the challenging cross-country race over around 22 kilometers, the soon-to-be 24-year-old Anna-Maria Perkmann from Naturns won ahead of Sarah (20) and Laura Baumgartner (24) from Villanders. In the men's race, Lukas Huber (24) and Michael Rabensteiner (23), again from Villanders, took second and third place behind the winner Ben Soja. In the downhill race, the Baumgartner siblings turned the tables: Sarah won ahead of her sister Laura Baumgartner, with Anna-Maria Perkmann coming in third. In the men's race, Lukas Huber won ahead of Michael Rabensteiner.

Greta Kofler at the uphill race. © Konstantin Höhne

In the final uphill race and the cyclocross (45-minute race on a circuit with obstacles), the outstanding Anna-Maria-Perkmann was unbeatable. Sarah Baumgartner came second in the uphill and third in the cyclocross, while 13-year-old Valentina Gruber from Naturno took bronze in the uphill. In the men's race, Michael Rabensteiner won the cyclocross, and Lukas Huber came third.

Strong performances on the track

The athletes of SSV Naturns also showed great performances in the track races on the athletics grounds of the university town of Bemidji: Anna-Maria Perkmann became vice world champion in the 100 and 400 meter disciplines as well as in the 30 meter wheel walk. Valentina Gruber came third in the 100 meter race, and 15-year-old Maya Hanifle (fifth in the 100m) also won bronze in the wheel walk race. Both also won several medals (most of them gold) in their age categories in ambulance and track races.

Spectacle on the track.

Teammate Greta Kofler won two bronze medals in her age category (19+) in the all-mountain disciplines. In the 4x100-meter race, the women's relay team from Naturns (Maya Hanifle, Valentina Gruber, Greta Kofler, Anna-Maria Perkmann) took a good sixth place.