Italian Mattia Selan and Sofia Groppi-Nidola most powerful in sprint after 42km
23. avgust 2026
Today, the 7th International Speed Inline Skating Marathon took place in Ljubljana, attracting a good number of competitors from various countries to the starting line. Despite the sunny weather, the skaters faced some difficulty with the wind, but this did not dampen the competitive spirit and attractive runs, which both ended in extremely intense finish line sprints in the two royal events.
Men's Marathon (42 km): Italian-French Duel to the Last Meter In the men's 42-kilometer elite category, a strong leading trio formed right after the start, consisting of eventual winner Mattia Selan (ITA), Frenchman Vincent Esnault, and Austrian Heinz Zimmermann. The high pace set by the leaders took its first toll on Zimmermann, who slowly began to fall behind and ultimately finished third. At the front, a fierce battle erupted between Selan and Esnault. The Frenchman attempted to break the Italian's resistance and carve out a decisive advantage with a few powerful accelerations, but Selan refused to be rattled. In a thrilling final sprint, Mattia Selan had more left in the tank, edging out Vincent Esnault by a mere second to claim a well-deserved victory with a time of 01:14:21.
Results 42M - Marathon - Men (Top 3):
Mattia Selan (ITA), Skating Comina Pordenone - 01:14:21
Vincent Esnault (FRA), Roller Sports Saint Pierrais - 01:14:22
Heinz Zimmermann (AUT), SC Highlanders - 01:19:03
Women's Marathon (42 km): Italian Supremacy in the Final Straight The women's long-distance event also delivered a tightly contested race. The leading quartet skated together for the majority of the race, featuring eventual winner Sofia Groppi-Nidola (ITA), Slovenian Nina Černič, Austrian Monika Sick, and another Italian, Nicole Groppi-Nidola. Monika Sick and Nina Černič attempted to break up the leading group with a few attacks to build an advantage before the finish, but their competitors successfully countered. In this category, too, the title was decided by a group sprint. Sofia Groppi-Nidola demonstrated her supremacy in the final straight to secure a dominant victory. The tenacious Nina Černič took second place, with Monika Sick finishing third.
Results 42W - Marathon - Women (Top 3):
Sofia Groppi-Nidola (ITA), Pattinaggio Caronno Pertusella - 01:27:56
Nina Černič (SLO), RK Ljubljana - 01:27:57
Monika Sick (AUT), LISC-2010 - 01:28:03