It was a thriller finish to the team sprint, where Tiril Udnes Weng fought feverishly to keep up with the sprint star Jonna Sundling on the decisive stage. The Norwegian anchorwoman really challenged the sprint world champion, but just before the stadium the Swede got a small gap and sprinted to gold. Lotta Udnes Weng is nevertheless proud of her twin sister’s efforts. – It’s really good! I thought for a while that she would be able to challenge Sundling, but this is good. In recent years, we have been full on the team sprint list, so this was lovely, she says to news. It is the first WC medal of her career for 30-year-old Anne Kjersti Kalvå, and for Norway it was a long-awaited team sprint medal. In the WC two years ago, they failed to get on the podium. – This was compensation for the Norwegian women’s national team. There was a will to fight from both of them. It was surprising that Kalvå would go today, but she delivers all the rounds. Tiril even manages to challenge the Swedes, who were big favourites, says news’s cross-country expert Fredrik Aukland. – Looks marked The USA had impressed in the prologue, and both Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern went out really tough on their first stages in the final. A tight group quickly formed, where both the big favorites from Sweden, Norway and Germany got behind the Americans. – I think both Tiril and Anne Kjersti are doing very well. They let others do the work, analyzed Therese Johaug at news. Emma Ribom had delivered a weaker prologue than both Kalvå and Udnes Weng, and on the second stage against Kalvå the expert began to see signs of weakness in the Swede. DUO: Kalvå and Weng. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB – Is Emma Ribom a bit affected? asked commentator Torgeir Bjørn. – I think Ribom looks impressed, said Johaug. Five teams went out together on the penultimate stage, where there was no longer any point in saving energy. This was the last opportunity for Kalvå to work up a gap to Ribom, and up one of the last hills before the stadium, the Norwegian hope made an attempt. – She is a wild animal! The hard drive continued towards the switch, but it was almost a dead race between Sweden, the USA and Norway on the last stage. What could Udnes Weng do in battle against the strong sprinters? Jonna Sundling won the individual sprint at the start of the championship, and there was a real duel between her and Udnes Weng towards the stadium. The Norwegian hope refused to let go for a long time. – She is a wild animal! shouted Bjørn when Udnes Weng kept up with Sundling. But just before the race, Sundling got the break she needed. Norway took the silver ahead of the USA, who were nevertheless delighted. – That means everything. Winning individually is nice, but it is much more important for me to be able to win with a teammate, says Jessie Diggins to news. Beat lightning-fast Swede in the prologue Kalvå already impressed in the prologue during the women’s prologue, and went faster than the sprint star Ribom. – It’s good on a fast lap like this. The fact that there are several rounds in a final is only an advantage for the enduring Kalvå, commented news’s Torgeir Bjørn. news’s cross-country expert Therese Johaug speculated whether Ribom might have taken it a bit easy and checked in to a usable time. – I’m a little surprised that Emma Ribom is so far behind the goal. So I’m a little unsure whether they might be running some tactics here that they want to save some energy for a final. Maybe she doesn’t go all she has. Who knows? says Johaug. Udnes Weng followed up with an even stronger time than her teammate and the fifth fastest overall. – I think it was a good prologue by both me and Tiril today. We are on the chopping block today and want to join in and fight all the way up there. What meets us afterwards now, I think, will suit us even better. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the day brings, says Kalvå about the team’s prospects. Jonna Sundling clinched the day’s best prologue, but it was the USA that had the best overall prologue time. Sweden has won the team sprint at the last two world championships, and today ensured a real golden triple.
ttn-69
Norwegian WC silver for the women in the team sprint – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
