Cross-country skiing: a breathless end to the race between Switzerland and Finland
Fifth and out of contention for the top 3 just over two years ago on the slopes of Planica (Slovenia), Anja Weber and Nadine Faehndrich went into the classic sprint team of the cross-country skiing world championships in Trondheim (Norway) with a strong desire to win a medal.
And just as the two Swiss seemed condemned to a frustrating fourth place going into the final stint of the day, Nadine Faehndrich drew on her resources to turn the tide at the end of a breathtaking final straight.
More than 6 seconds behind Jasmi Joensuu when the baton was passed, the 29 year-old cross-country skier raced at breakneck speed towards the Finn. Already at her limit in the qualifying race at the end of the morning, the Finn cracked again in the very last metres.
“We don’t have the words to describe what we’ve just seen”.Jovian Hediger at RTS
Nadine Faehndrich quickly took advantage of this lapse to get the better of her rival on the final bend of the Scandinavian course. Already bronze medallist in the individual sprint skate a few days earlier, the native of Schwarzenberg (Switzerland) once again carried her nation, which had been ideally launched by a steadily improving Anja Weber.
The Swiss, who will go for silver in 2021 in Oberstdorf (Germany), continue to make their mark among the top sprint teams: “We don’t have the words to describe what we’ve just seen. Nadine was masterful and Anja has matured enormously in just a week”, exclaimed Jovian Hediger, the former cross-country skier who has become a consultant for RTS.
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