Sprint day lights up Ruka Nordic as Norwegians take the win in men’s and women’s sprints
Last year’s Women’s Sprint winner Johanna Hagstroem set the pace in the qualification. She crossed the finish line in the time of 2 minutes and 55 seconds. Emma Ribom on her birthday was the last skier to get into the heats, being roughly 10 seconds behind Hagstroem.
On the men’s side in the qualification Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo set the pace with a time of 2 minutes and 31 seconds. The Finns looked great in the men’s qualification, three fins made it into the top four. Emil Liekari, Joni Mäki and Niilo Moilanen were the trio behind Klaebo. Anton Grahn, with a time of 2 minutes and 39 seconds was the last to make the top 30 into the heats.
The biggest surprise of the qualification in the morning was that Federico Pellegrino was left outside of the top 30 and did not make it into the heats.
– Yesterday I had problems with my skis, today they were better but my body was not there, Pellegrino commented post race.
Emma Ribom, who was last to qualify, won her heat in the quarter finals but was disqualified.
12 women made the semis from the quarterfinals. Four of them were Swedes, Johanna Hagstroem, Maja Dahlqvist, Jonna Sundling and Moa Ilar who took Emma Riboms after her disqualification.
Norwegians in the semis were Kristine Stavaas Skistad, Mathilde Myhrvold and Ane Appelkvist Stenseth.
Jasmi Joensuu, Johanna Matintalo and Hilla Niemelä were the Finns who made the semis. Also one American Jessie Diggins and one Swiss skier Nadine Faehndrich made it to the semis.
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On the men’s side from the 12 semi-finalists six were Norwegian as Klaebo, Erik Valnes, Oskar Opstad Vike, Erik Valnes, Ansgar Evensen, Harald Oestberg Amundsen made it through.
Two Finns in the semis were Lauri Vuorinen and Emil Liekari. Others who made it were Ben Ogden from the US, Jules Chappaz from France, Alvar Myhlback from Sweden and Benjamin Moser from Austria.
The first women’s semifinal was faster than the second one so the top four of Kristine Stavaas Skistad, Maja Dahlqvist, Johanna Matintalo and Jonna Sundling made it to the final. The final was filled by Johanna Hagstroem and Nadine Faehndrich from the second semifinal.
The men’s Final was made up of the Norwegians Klaebo and Valnes from the first semifinal. The second semifinal was faster for the men so Lauri Vuorinen, Ansgar Evensen, Jules Chappaz and Harald Oestberg Amundsen were the top four who made the final.
Kristine Stavaas Skistad topped the Swedes in the Women’s final and took the victory. Jonna Sundling takes second with a picture finish over her Swedish teammate Maja Dahlqvist. Johanna Hagstroem was fourth, Nadine Faehndrich fifth and Johanna Matinpalo sixth.
– I had a perfect start, said Skistad when asked about the final.
The Norwegians dominate the men’s sprint final. Klaebo was on a level above the rest as expected and won quite clearly, bowing to the crowd while crossing the finish line. Erik Valnes came second being 1.2 seconds behind Klaebo and Ansgar Evensen filled up the podium to claim a triple win for Norway. Jules Chappaz was fourth coming close to the podium. Amundsen came fifth and Lauri Vuorinen couldn’t replicate last year’s podium coming sixth.
– We had good skis and my shape felt good, Klaebo commented after dominating the sprint final.
Text: Pietu Enne
Image: Noora Luukkanen