Cross-country skiing: Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo shines again on home soil
Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo never comes down from his clouds. After winning the skate sprint title on Thursday following a recital, the Norwegian once again took advantage of his formidable racing skills to put in another high-flying performance in the skiathlon at the World Cross-Country Skiing Championships in Trondheim (Norway) on Saturday afternoon.
He was at the front of the pack for a long time at the start of the classic race, but the local of the stage was able to stay there to keep his chances alive in the final. As formidable as ever in the sprint, the 28-year-old cross-country skier didn’t hesitate to use all his skills to extinguish all his rivals’ hopes of winning gold for the first time over distance.
In front of a huge and furious crowd, the world number one won his second title in as many races . A new gold medal brings his total to eleven, two less than the thirteen titles won by legend Petter Northug Jr.
Behind him, the long-awaited final lived up to all its promises. In a breathless final sprint, the remaining places on the podium were awarded after viewing the photo finish. And in the end it was Martin Loewstroem Nyenget who managed to get the better of two of his compatriots.
At the age of 32, the Norwegian had plenty to smile about in the finish area as he picked up his first career world medal. In the same second as him, Harald Oestberg Amundsen also took bronze. After winning the crystal globe in last year’s World Cup, the 26-year-old now has his third medal after those he won in the individual events in Oberstdorf (Germany) in 2021 and Planica (Slovenia) in 2023.
At the foot of the podium, Jan Thomas Jenssen will have a few regrets after having believed for a long time in the first three positions of the day. Federico Pellegrino, who impressed on Thursday to take silver in the sprint, impressed everyone again with fifth place.
Mathis Desloges achieves career-best result at his first World Championships
Behind the Italian, Mathis Desloges also shone. Eighth on two occasions this winter on the World Cup, the Frenchman put in a career-best performance to cross the finish line of this skiathlon in a superb sixth place.
Always at the front throughout the 20-kilometre course in spring snow, the Dauphinois was able to hold his nerve at the end of the competition just when his rivals had decided to accelerate. Back at the front in the final, the Isérois rider finished well ahead of Andrew Musgrave and William Poromaa at the end of a crazy sprint.
A few seconds behind him, Hugo Lapalus finished just outside the top 10. In the final eleventh place, the Haut-Savoyard was one of the big players in the event. At ease in the classics, the Cluse managed his skateboarding effort to try and sneak into the final pack. Dropped in the very last metres, the Frenchman finished just 4 seconds from the box.
Dropped at the end of the classic passage, Jules Lapierre then used his excellent skating skills to get back on track. Clawing back a few places, the Chartrous native eventually finished nineteenth. Not far behind him, Clément Parisse climbed to twenty-sixth place.
The full rankings
Read also
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- “This is the first time I’m going into the Worlds with a real chance of a medal”: Hugo Lapalus tells Nordic Magazine ahead of the Trondheim Worlds, where he’ll be aiming for the podium.
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