Cross-country skiing: second title in a row for Ebba Andersson in Trondheim
The women’s cross-country skiers were still battling it out in the snow on Tuesday afternoon for theindividual classic medals at the world cross-country skiing championships in Trondheim (Norway). A few hours after the undisputed coronation of king Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo in the men’s race, the women’s competition kept the thousands of spectators on the edge of their seats.
On Sunday, during the skiathlon, the end of the race had already given rise to a magnificent duel between Ebba Andersson and Therese Johaug. In that event, the Swede got the better of the Norwegian at the photo finish by just a few centimetres. Today, the two women were once again separated by a tiny gap.
And the wheel once again turned in the skiathlon world champion’s favour. Behind her rival with less than two kilometres to go, the Scandinavian turned the tide in the final to beat the 36-year-old cross-country skier by just one second and three tenths.
Ebba Andersson added another gold medal to her collection, becoming the first Swede to win four individual world championships. Therese Johaug , still in silver, will have to wait for her fifteenth world title.
For the bronze medal, the big loser of the day was Teresa Stadlober. Still in contention for first place after 8 kilometres of racing, the Austrian lost her footing in the final efforts of the day. In difficult conditions, the 32-year-old cross-country skier let precious seconds slip away, depriving her of third place by less than three seconds.
A lapse that benefited Frida Karlsson, who was rewarded after failing to finish outside the top 3 in the skiathlon. Always on the right pace, the Swede even made up time on the leader at the end of the course to take her place on the podium and win her eleventh career medal at this event.
The only French rider lining up at the start of this individual classic and just outside the top 30 at the finish, Mélissa Gal finished more than three minutes behind the leader in thirty-first place.
The full rankings
Read also
- Trondheim: after the sprint and skiathlon, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo claimed his third consecutive world title in the individual classic, with Hugo Lapalus and Rémi Bourdin in the top 15.
- Trondheim: reigning world champion Jessie Diggins will not be at the start of the individual classic
- Trondheim: the start lists for the individual classics at the Worlds, with four French starters
- Trondheim: Eleventh in the skiathlon at the Worlds, Emma Ribom suffered a heart attack a few days earlier in the sprint event
