Wang Qiang stretches his arms in the air in front of news’s camera a few seconds after the finish and holds up three fingers: – Third place! The Chinese sensation is delighted after beating Even Northug in a sprint in the battle for the last podium place during the classic sprint in the Top Sports Week. He has an interpreter with him wherever he goes, but his English is steadily improving. – I have faith in myself, says Wang to news. – Now I focus on the training. I think I’ll be even better in the winter. For the next three months, I will focus on training with my team, says Wang, who travels around with a physiotherapist and interpreter, in addition to his Norwegian coach. Roses by the competitors – He is mega dangerous. I had a session with him earlier this summer and. He’s good, and I think that’s bloody funny, says Even Northug to news. The Strindheim runner was just a few centimeters behind Qiang Wang across the finish line in Aure, and ended up in a sour 4th place. Although the Chinese has limited experience with roller skiing competitions, he showed himself right from the start. He had the second best time in the prologue and blew away his field in the quarterfinals. – He is exceptionally good technically and has very good speed. There aren’t that many Chinese who ski fast. So you’re a little shocked, but it’s just fun to see what they’ve achieved with him, says Northug. SAVING PARTNERS: Pål Trøan Aune and Qiang Wang before the award ceremony in Top Sports Week. Photo: Fredrik Tombra / news Erik Valnes won the classic sprint in Top Sports Week after a monster sprint up the last hill. Pål Trøan Aune just couldn’t reach forward with his foot, but ended up in 2nd place ahead of his training partner Wang. – He is insanely strong and he said it a few days ago: “We are going to the final, then I will take the lead and you hang on”. And that was it, smiles Aune to news. – He has some x-factors that are insanely good. – What are the x-factors? – He can run from the start. Today he gets 20 meters in 50 meters down the bend. He can do different things all the time and today it worked really well. He’s starting to look scary, says Aune. CLOSE ON: Pål Trøan Aune (left) just missed the shot in a close match against Erik Valnes. Right behind Aune is Wang, while Even Northug is just behind Valnes. Photo: Claes-Tommy Herland/Norwegian Ski Association / NTB The coach: – Pain doesn’t exist Wang’s Norwegian coach, Lars Christian Aabol, believes the Chinese has a unique ability to absorb learning. As well as a weapon that makes him extra dangerous when it’s heading towards his finish line: – His speed. He is extremely fast. It would have been fun to see those muscle fibers under a microscope. COACH: Lars Christian Aabol was previously assistant coach of the Norwegian national team. Now he coaches Wang for China. Photo: Ned Alley / NTB Aabol also highlights another quality that makes him particularly easy to work with: – It is the will to stand your ground. Pain does not exist. It’s give gas anyway. My job is to slow down, try to calm down a bit and be smart in the training. Working towards the WC Just three months before the winter season knocks on the door, Wang is clear that the WC in Planica is the big goal of the season. The Chinese failed when he competed in the Olympics at home this winter. He was the leading medal hope in the ski track and opened strongly with the fifth fastest time. But he struggled considerably more when he went shoulder-to-shoulder with the competition. A wild maneuver – which ruined the race for Pål Golberg – ensured that Wang was disqualified from the freestyle sprint at the Olympics. He was heartbroken. He had a sort of recovery towards the end of the season. First he made it to the final in Lahti in the first competition after the Olympics. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won in familiar style, while Wang finished as the system man. news expert: – He is a bit unfinished When the Russians were banned and large parts of the Norwegian national team out with illness five days later, Wang really struck. French Richard Jouve took the victory in Drammen. Closest followed the Chinese. Now news expert Torgeir Bjørn believes he can take the step all the way to the top: news EXPERT: Torgeir Bjørn. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – He is an extremely interesting runner with the potential to fight for victory in the World Cup sprint race this winter. He has such great speed potential, and also has a good touch on the skis, so he does at least as well on skis as on roller skis. At the same time, Bjørn points out what is needed to win races: – He is a bit unfinished when it comes to going in the field, and still lacks some experience in sprinting against the best in the world in the field. He has something to gain there. PS! Maja Dahlqvist won the women’s sprint in Toppidrettsveka. She beat Ane Appelkvist Stenseth and Lotta Udnes Weng. On Saturday from 17.00, news 1 shows the women’s 10 kilometer and the men’s 15 kilometer free technique from Granåsen. At 19.00 the start of the hunt is broadcast.
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– He is mega dangerous – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
