Samuel Gaze wins the 2022 World Championship Short Track

New Zealand's Samuel Gaze has just been proclaimed 2022 Short Track World Champion. The victory was decided in a very long sprint with Blevins that ended with a crash of the American in the middle of a rockgarden.

Samuel Gaze is the new XCC 2022 World Champion.

As in the women's event, the men's Short Track race started with important casualties, such as Pidcock, Schurter and Dascalu, among others.

Far from ceasing, the rain intensified as Brazilian Henrique Avancini made a brilliant start to lead the first lap. Spaniard Jofre Cullel was riding in fifth position when a small crash before the start of lap 2 dropped him a few places.

The first few laps followed with Avancini, Swiss Thomas Litscher and German Julian Schelb relieving each other in the lead. But there were no big moves until lap 4, the race would be a total of 10, when Avancini tried a change of pace to break the race. Something that Danish Sebastian Fini did not allow.

On lap 5 Avancini and Sebastian Fini suffered a crash which caused Swiss riders Filippo Colombo and Thomas Litscher to move into the lead with New Zealander Sam Gaze following closely behind.

Despite the attempted attacks and crashes, the front group remained together and large with two laps to go, suggesting a sprint finish.

As the final lap got underway, New Zealander Sam Gaze launched the biggest attack of the day, but American Chris Blevins responded well and both went clear with Filippo Colombo following close behind.

Gaze and Blevins went for the gold in an endless sprint, but Blevins crashed in a rock garden.

Mad 

Crash for @chrisblevs  few metres awy from the finish line.#LesGets2022 pic.twitter.com/T62gvBSrph

— UCI MTB (@UCI_MTB) August 26, 2022

The New Zealander arrived at the finish line as the new Short Track World Champion. The silver medal went to Colombo and the bronze to his Swiss compatriot Thomas Litscher.

Results World Championship Short Track 2022 - Men

1. GAZE Samuel NZL 
2. COLOMBO Filippo SUI 
3. LITSCHER Thomas SUI 
4. HATHERLY AlanRSA 
5. BLUMS Martins LAT
6. CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini DEN 
7. AVANCINI Henrique BRA 
8. LINDBERG Jonas DEN
9. BRAIDOT Daniele ITA 
10. BRANDL Maximilian GER