Cross-country skiing: Ebba Andersson held off Therese Johaug
Fifty-nine female cross-country skiers set off in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon for the skiathlon at the world cross-country skiing championships in Trondheim (Norway). On a salty track, the duel between Ebba Andersson and Therese Johaug kept the many spectators on the edge of their seats right to the end.
Already neck and neck on several occasions in recent weeks during the Norwegian’s rare appearances on the World Cup, the two cross-country skiers were separated by a photo finish at the end of a completely crazy race. Coming back like a rocket in the sprint, Ebba Andersson finally won by just a few centimetres.
The Swede started in contact with the much-anticipated Therese Johaug and never looked back. Taking advantage of the fall of Jonna Sundling and Heidi Weng at the start of the final lap, the Scandinavian then responded blow for blow to the powerful attacks of her 36-year-old rival.
The reigning world champion in the discipline, the 27-year-old lived up to her status by completing a crazy straight to win by a whisker ahead of Therese Johaug, who was hoping to claim her fifteenth world title. It was a breathtaking finale that will go down in the annals of history, as the two competitors engaged in a formidable battle right up to the final moments.
With less than four kilometres to go, Jonna Sundling was still holding off the best female riders in the field. And while she could have had high hopes of a sprint finish, the Swede tangled her hair on one of the stadium’s demanding bends. But she recovered well to win bronze, her first career world medal in the distance.
Behind her, Frida Karlsson can only regret having lost precious metres at the end of the 10 kilometre classic. Less than 10 seconds behind the leading cross-country skiers, the Swede was never able to close the gap on the skateboarders. And while she thought she could take third place against her compatriot Jonna Sundling, the 25-year-old Scandinavian was no match for her team-mate and her sprinting skills.
Flora Dolci equals her best performance in a skiathlon
Heidi Weng was caught by Jonna Sundling at the start of the final lap, but was unable to recover from the incident. The Norwegian had to settle for a frustrating fifth place, despite looking good for many kilometres. Just behind her, the young Swiss rider Nadja Kaelin impressed with her sixth place.
Flora Dolci , the only Frenchwoman at the start of this Sunday’s skiathlon, put in a solid performance in her debut at these World Championships. After hanging on in the classical section, the Frenchwoman put in a great effort in the skating section to claw back a few positions.
Back in eleventh place with less than two kilometres to go, the Haut-Alpine finally lost ground in the final pack, where she still finished in fifteenth place. Her performance equalled her best result in this format.
The full rankings
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