Cross-country skiing: no podium for the Norwegians
At the Milan-Cortina Games, Frida Karlsson added another chapter to her already remarkable season by winning gold in the 10km freestyle with rare authority. The Swede dominated the event, clinching her second Olympic title following her triumph in the skiathlon a few days earlier.
In Norway, the pill is all the more difficult to swallow given that, in the days leading up to the race, Frida Karlsson benefited from the advice of a certain Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo. On the Tesero tracks, the two champions had numerous sessions together. NRK noted this closeness. Interviewed by SVT Sport, the seven-time Olympic champion confirmed that they had “done almost all their training sessions together”.
According to Aftonbladet, Frida Karlsson was given clear advice: “don’t leave too quickly”. And this advice was followed to the letter. After a controlled start, she gradually upped the pace, opening up irreparable gaps as the kilometres went by. “ I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in such good form”, said Therese Johaug.
Untouchable at the top, the Swede eclipsed the competition. And while she was dominating the race, another fact stood out: the absence of the Norwegians on the podium, a rare occurrence at this level.
Astrid Oeyre Slind tried to save her honour in a fierce duel with Jessie Diggins for third place. But the American had the last word. “It’s frustrating. Life doesn’t offer many opportunities. I would have liked to have been three seconds faster,” the Norwegian told NRK.
- Frida Karlsson crushes the individual skate and wins a second gold medal, Léonie Perry in the top 10
- Imperial Frida Karlsson triumphs in the skiathlon, Léonie Perry sixteenth
- “It really gives me confidence for the 10 km skate”: sixteenth in the skiathlon, Léonie Perry looks back on her race for Nordic Magazine
