– She has become a new person. She is so good in winter. She needs to confirm her form to run the WC sprint and she shows that she is in a great position to do so, says news’s cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn. Skistad has delivered impressively this season, after a couple of troubled seasons. The 23-year-old won both the sprint during the national opening at Beitostølen and NM gold at Gjøvik last week. And now it could also be her first World Cup victory. The prologue in the classic sprint in French Les Rousses was at least impressive. There she was the fastest of all and went on to win, 1.9 seconds ahead of German Laura Gimmler and 3.4 seconds ahead of Jonna Sundling. In the WC in Planica, there is precisely a classic sprint on the program, on 23 February. Skistad surprised himself – I don’t understand anything. I felt perfectly fine too, so that’s a bit surprising. But that’s not wrong, says Skistad to news. – It is very nice to have a Norwegian prologue win. She had a great prologue. She looked relaxed and strong, so this could be good, says national team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad to news. Skistad was previously part of the recruit national team, but has been outside the national team system for the last two seasons and instead trained in the Konnerud club team. – Kristine walks with a confidence and security like never before, says Bjørn. – Now she is going to take her first World Cup victory and stop the impossible Swedes. It is only now that they have all entered, says Bjørn further, referring to the Swedish sprint team with Maja Dahlqvist, Linn Svahn and Jonna Sundling at the forefront. All the Norwegians further It is the first time that Skistad has won a prologue in the World Cup, and that in classic. Before this season she had an 18th place as the best in classic sprint in the World Cup, while this season she has reached the final in two World Cup sprints in classic. In both cases (Ruka and Beitostølen) she finished in fifth place. In free technique, she has two fourth places as her best result in the World Cup, from 2020 and 2021. When asked if Saturday’s race can be run where she takes the step right up to the top of the podium for the first time, she replies: – We’ll see. I’m betting that it loosens up a bit, then anything can happen, she says – and that after a superb prologue victory. – It looked very easy on the run, compared to others who struggle to create momentum, said Viaplay expert Niklas Dyrhaug about the prologue to Skistad. In addition to Skistad, the other Norwegian athletes are also further. Ane Appelkvist Stenseth was number five, Mathilde Myhrvold number nine, Lotta Udnes Weng number 14, Maria Hartz Melling number 22 and Anna Svendsen number 26. It was also a good prologue for the Norwegian men. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo narrowly won ahead of Erik Valnes and Frenchman Lucas Chanavat. Even Northug, Håvard Solås Taugbøl, Sivert Wiig, Pål Golberg and Sindre Bjørnestad Skar all made it into the top 17 and are also through. The women’s quarter-finals start at 14.30, while the men’s quarter-finals start at 14.57.
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– I don’t understand anything – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
