35-year-old Slind has focused on long-distance running in recent years, but after a number of impressive results in the World Cup this season, she got the chance in the World Cup. And in her debut in an international championship, she made a big impression. Slind was the one who came closest to taking up the fight with the Swedish duo Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson and went on to win WC bronze in the 15 kilometer joint start with a change of skis. – The cross-country runner who barely skates wins a medal in his WC debut, at the age of 35. It wasn’t going to work. But it worked here, says news’s cross-country commentator Jann Post. – Perhaps today’s performance here. She has also tried her hand at biathlon and then she goes and takes bronze in an exercise that contains both classical and skating. It is almost impossible to fathom, says news’s expert commentator Torgeir Bjørn. It has been eight years since Slind last ran a 15 kilometer joint start with a change of skis. At that time she was number 11 in the NM. On the way to bronze, things went awry for coach Stig Rune Kveen in seconding Slind: Going to run the Vasaloppet the day after the WC three-mile Slind invested in traditional cross-country skiing for several years, but since the 2015/16 season has mainly prioritized cross-country skiing. Among other things, it has resulted in victory in the Vasaloppet and Birkebeinerrennet, but this season she has combined both long-distance running and traditional cross-country skiing. With a seventh place overall in the Tour de Ski and then a third place in the 20-kilometer race in Les Rousses in France, she secured a place on the WC team. The latter race meant that she had to drop the prestigious long-distance race Marcialonga. It has primarily been the classic three-mile race at the end of the WC that has been Slind’s goal, but she also got the go-ahead to walk the 15-kilometer distance and therefore signed off with bronze there. At the latest on Friday, she told news that she still plans to go to the Vasaloppet, where she is the reigning champion, on March 5, the day after the WC three-mile. – Can she win the three-mile in the WC and the Vasaloppet the following day? Yes, it is possible. Everything is possible for Astrid Øyre Slind, says Bjørn. Double Swedish It has become Norwegian WC gold in the women’s 15 kilometer joint start with ski change in every WC since 2011, when Marit Bjørgen won in Holmenkollen. She also won in 2013 and 2017, while Therese Johaug went for gold in 2015, 2019 and 2021. Two years ago it was the Swedes Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson who followed in the places behind and on Saturday there was no one who could prevent Swedish gold. Into the ski change, Andersson led the way in a group of six runners. There, Norway had WC debutant Astrid Øyre Slind, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg and Anne Kjersti Kalvå. And perhaps the Swedish women learned something from the ski exchange of Sjur Røthe and Simen Hegstad Krüger on Friday. Like the Norwegian men’s duo, they were lightning fast in the ski change and got a gap down to the rest. For Kalvå, the change of skis also marked the end of his medal hopes. She had not secured the binding sufficiently and the ski therefore disappeared from her on the way out of the changing booth. At the front, Andersson pulled away and quickly gained a large gap. Behind, Slind impressed and took up the pursuit of Karlsson alone, but it ended with bronze for Slind. Andersson made it exciting with a fall on the penultimate lap, but she held on and took gold. – Just sad to see that the race was marked by a number of falls. Only a minute had passed when a fall sent a number of runners to the ground on the first lap. On the second lap, it was Rosie Brennan who lost control when she was about to plow into a corner. Brennan went on the nose, at the same time one ski rose into the air. – It’s just sad to watch, said news’s cross-country commentator Jann Post. The binding was destroyed by the fall and Brennan therefore had to hobble forward for a period before she got hold of a new ski. – I would not say that it is the most ideal track for a joint start. You then get pulled into the corner and we see that here today as well. It is difficult to dose and accidents happen quickly. Crazy shame for Rosie Brennan that this should happen, says news’s cross-country expert Therese Johaug.
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Astrid Øyre Slind shocked with bronze in her WC debut – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
