Cross-country skiing : the reigning world champions untouchable
The first team sprint of the season took place on Friday night in Davos (Switzerland) as part of the third stage of the cross-country skiing world cup. The reigning world champions in 2023 in Planica (Slovenia), the Swedes gave their opponents no chance.
Ideally placed at the front of the race as the laps went by, Emma Ribom and Jonna Sundling mastered their subject. Favourites before the start, the Scandinavians asserted their status by taking off in the last lap through Jonna Sundling, who had already won the Lillehammer (Norway) skate sprint last weekend.
Their Norwegian rivals Astrid Oeyre Slind and Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs, who formed a new duo in this format, had to be content with second place on the night. A fine performance for a pair who had only finished twelfth in qualifying.
Less than a second behind, Switzerland’s Anja Weber was able to count on the incredible comeback of her experienced compatriot Nadine Faehndrich in the final stint to climb up on the podium. The home team came back after having started in the middle of the pack in the last few hectometres, and delighted their large crowd.
Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin in the mix
Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin, who had finished an excellent fifth in the qualifying heat a few hours earlier, kept in close contact throughout the twelve laps of the Swiss track. In the end, the two Haut-Savoyard riders were content with a good eighth place, ahead of the second Italian team.
The full rankings
Read also
- Qualification for the team sprint in Davos for the Swiss team of Janik Riebli and Valerio Grond, the two French teams in the next round
- Davos: Emma Ribom and Jonna Sundling win the sprint team qualifier with ease, Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin well placed
- Julie Pierrel, Clément Parisse and Sabin Coupat selected: fourteen-strong French team for the World Cup in Davos
- The full programme for the Davos World Cup, which starts this Friday
