Red Bull X-Alps
First Female Athlete to Finish Red Bull X-Alps
Press Release / 27.06.2023
She finally did it. This afternoon Eli Egger (AUT4), a 28-year-old Austrian from the Dachstein region, became the first woman in the 20-year-history of the Red Bull X-Alps to complete the gruelling course to the finish line.
She arrived at Schmittenhöhe, the final Turnpoint above the town of Zell am See, exhausted but relieved after ten days of hiking and flying around 15 Turnpoints in five countries of this edition’s route.
To cheers from the crowd of spectators and fans, she then launched into the air one final time to the official finish line – a landing float in the lake.
After touching down she couldn’t contain her joy: "I don't have any words for how I feel. I haven't even realized yet that I'm really here, but that will probably come in the next few days. This has been an adventure that I will never forget. I have had such great experiences during this time and learned a lot. And of course, I had ups and downs, which is all part of the Red Bull X-Alps. But it doesn't get any better than this. But I was also very lucky with the weather at this race."
Ulrich Grill, who founded the race with Hannes Arch back in 2003, said: “Many congratulations to Eli. It’s a great achievement and she has shown that women can take on and succeed in this race. The first time women competed was in 2005 and up until now, only eight women had taken part. With this edition we had five women originally entered. Eli’s achievement will give more women the confidence and belief to take on what is undoubtedly the world’s toughest adventure race.”
Egger arrived in Zell am See this afternoon after a slow battle the past two days with tricky conditions, strong winds and thunderstorms. But throughout, she has remained cheery and determined.
“The body is good. I have one tiny blister but that’s it,” she said yesterday during the mandatory ascent of the Paternkofel via ferrata in the Dolomites.
Egger wasn’t the only athlete to make goal. Earlier, the US athlete Logan Walters (USA1), 32, touched down in Zell am See. The helicopter pilot had been locked in a duel with the Canadian James Elliott (CAN) for much of the race. They were together yesterday, hiking and flying across the Dolomites to Sexten. But in the end, it was the American who got away. Elliott was predicted to arrive at the finish line late afternoon.
The arrival of the three takes the final tally of athletes to make the finish line to 22 –three more than the record number of athletes to make the goal in Monaco in 2015. With another day remaining, it’s possible that two more athletes could make it, Emoto Yuji (JPN) and Jordi Vilalta (ESP).
The only other athlete remaining in the field, Richard Binstead (AUS) has rounded Mont Blanc but will be eliminated tomorrow morning as the athlete in last place.
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