The 2025 Winter Duathlon World Championships showcased some of the world's elite athletes, competing for the prestigious title in the breathtaking landscape of Cogne, Italy, on the heart of the Aosta Valley. After almost three years out of competition, Independent Neutral Athlete Daria Rogozina claimed the world title, crossing the finish line ahead of last year’s champion Ine Skjellum (NOR) and Helena Karásková (CZE). 

The Winter Duathlon World Championships kicked off three days of competition on the snow in Cogne, a picturesque winter resort that followed in the footsteps of Pragelato, which hosted last year's Winter Triathlon World Championships.

The Elite, U23 and Junior athletes faced a race format consisted of two laps of 1 km each running, followed by two laps of 2 km each on skis, and then a repeat of each segment for a a total distance of 4 km running and 8 km skiing. 

Neutral Athlete Daria Rogozina clinched the Winter Duathlon world title in Cogne, reinforcing her status as a formidable competitor. A three-time winter triathlon world champion (2018, 2019, 2022) and a bronze medalist in 2021, Rogozina proved her mettle. Born in 1996, she showcased her skiing prowess, claiming victory in her return to competition after being declared a Neutral Athlete just days before the race. Her last event was in 2022.

Norway’s Ine Skjellum, the silver medalist and last year's Duathlon World Champion, delivered a remarkable performance, particularly in the running segments. However, she was unable to keep pace with Rogozina during the ski sections. The bronze medal went to Helena Karásková from the Czech Republic, who is a consistent presence in cross triathlon and cross duathlon events.

In the opening leg, a group of 17 women entered transition together, showcasing their speed and skill. Unfortunately, Skjellum lost valuable seconds when she mistakenly went to transition instead of turing for the second loop, having to go back and play cat and mouse with the other leaders for a bit. 

Rogozina quickly established her dominance in the skiing segment, clocking the fastest split by nearly 20 seconds, asserting a gap that proved insurmountable. On the second running leg, Skjellum and her teammate Kristin Waaktaar Opland took charge of the chase group alongside Karásková. However, Karásková's exceptional skiing ability allowed her to leapfrog into a strong bronze position.

As the competitors approached the finish line, Rogozina celebrated her victory with a lead of over 40 seconds ahead of Skjellum, who joyfully crossed the line in second place. Karásková secured the bronze, while Natalie Brlicova (CZE) finished fourth and Carina Wasle from Austria rounded out the top five.

In the U23 category, Zuzana Michalickova from Slovakia emerged victorious, demonstrating her talent as a member of Team World Triathlon. She nearly secured a spot on the Olympic team for Paris 2024, finishing in an impressive sixth place overall—almost two minutes ahead of Julie Meinicke (Norway) in second and Axelle Vicari in third.

The Junior Winter Duathlon World Championships only had two participants, AIN Alina Liagaeva, who crossed the line in first place, followed by Ludovica Sabbia (ITA).