Cross-country skiing: William Poromaa , silver medallist behind King Klæbo
Twenty-four-year-old William Poromaa won the silver medal in the relay at the World Championships in Trondheim (Norway). In the final sprint, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo was stronger than he was. For two seconds, the Norwegian won and was crowned champion in the six races he contested.
Behind the finish line, cheered on by the crowd, the two men shared a hug. It was one of the most beautiful images of these world championships, which attracted more than 90,000 spectators on Saturday.
“I can’t believe it, it’s so huge,” said the Swede. What impressed him most was “being able to challenge this ‘goat’ over this distance”. But this format suits him well. In 2023 in Planica (Slovenia), William Poromaa came third in the 50km race, behind Paal Golberg and Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo.
He continues: “I felt like I was cramping from the third round onwards. That’s what I was fighting against. But I was strong. The hours of training paid off.
Halfway through the race, William Poromaa was one of five skiers in the breakaway. He was the only non-Norwegian. On the last run back into the stadium, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget fell, then Simen Hegstad Krueger, third on the day, gave up a few metres. That left just two riders fighting for gold.
“It’s completely crazy. Not a day goes by without medals,” said Swedish coach Stefan Thomson on Viaplay (quoted by Aftonbladet).
In Trondheim, William Poromaa has already won a bronze medal in the relay.
Read also
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo makes history by completing the grand slam at the World Championships
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: Sweden’s Edvin Anger and William Poromaa win bronze in the relay
