In an almost all-Swedish final, which was not without drama, Linn Svahn took her fourth sprint victory in a row in the World Cup. But you had to look far for Norwegian athletes. – We are simply not good enough at the moment, we have to be honest, says news’s cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn. Tiril Udnes Weng agrees with the verdict. – Right now we deserve the criticism. It’s too bad. It is only necessary to be critical, but we are most critical of ourselves, states Udnes Weng after the collective failure. Because in Kristine Stavå’s Skistad’s absence, there were no Norwegians in the women’s sprint semi-final. Mathilde Myhrvold, Julie Myhre, Maria Hartz Melling and Tiril Udnes Weng competed in the quarter-finals, but no one was fast enough to secure a semi-final place. In Oberhof last week, Stavås Skistad was the only Norwegian woman to advance from the quarter-finals. – Lots of injuries and illness It was a Norwegian team with amputations that started in Goms. Kristine Stavå’s Skistad, which has five podiums in sprints this season, stood over the Goms sprint to put in a good training period before the rest of the season. Nor are Anne Kjersti Kalvå, Lotta Udnes Weng, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Julie Myhre, Marte Skaanes, Helene Marie Fossesholm or Heidi Weng present in Goms, due to illness or injuries. SUPPORT: Harald Østberg Amundsen supports his female colleagues. Photo: Martin Schutt / AP – This year there has been an extra lot of injuries and illness that have affected the team. Maybe not everyone has hit in training. It affects us when this is our job, says Harald Østberg Amundsen to news. He believes that there are many who find it easy to criticize the athletes: – There are a lot of critics back home who type on the keyboard and report, but we just have to put up with that. It’s tough competition, so you can’t come here and perform at 95 percent. The men’s World Cup leader was himself knocked out in the quarter-finals. – What can they do to perform better? – There is no definitive answer to that. They just have to shrug their shoulders and do what you know you need. For my own part, I tend to rest a lot and eat a lot of sweets when it’s hard, but it’s not like that for everyone. They will come back. It will fluctuate a bit in the top sport. – Irritating Because it was not based on the will of the Norwegian athletes in the women’s class. – I would have liked to have been in a semi, at least. Annoying that I was number three towards the stadium, and not number two. I think I should have made it, says a disappointed person, says Julie Myhre to news after the disappointment in the quarter-finals. – I was too far behind from the start, and I had to catch up to quite a few people in front there. I think what ruined it for me was my position at the top, I should have been further forward, she explains. IRRITATED: Mathilde Myhrvold believes she should be able to make it to the semi-finals. Photo: NTB Udnes Weng, who has struggled with a lot of illness this season, had also hoped for a better result. – It’s fun to go cross-country skiing, but more fun if I’d been a little closer. I feel I should have been too. It’s difficult to say what I feel, really, it’s boring, says Udnes Weng to news. – With normal form, I hang out with Frida (Karlsson) and Jessica Diggins. If I hadn’t caught them in the sprint, I should at least have followed along. I’m simply out of shape, that’s the way it is. – What do you think about the team effort? – It’s stupid, I think everyone feels that it’s boring to smoke yourself. But fine if other teammates do well, but that consolation is not there today, says Udnes Weng. ILLNESS: Tiril Udnes Weng has struggled with illness, and has not yet found his way back to top form. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Swedish dominance The Swedes have dominated the women’s side all season. The freestyle sprint in Goms is no exception. Sweden took up six out of a total of 12 semi-final places and it is ready for an almost all-Swedish women’s final. FINAL READY: Nadine Fähndrich prevented an all-Swedish final. Photo: BILDBYRÅN Jonna Sundling and Linn Svahn, who have been almost unbeatable this season, secured final tickets in the first semi-final heat. In the second semi-final heat, Maja Dahlqvist won ahead of Swiss Nadine Fähndrich. Emma Ribom and Frida Karlsson secured “lucky loser” places. Fähndrich is thus the only non-Swedish in the final. Klæbo in top form On the men’s side, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo showed that he is hungry for revenge after he smoked before the final last weekend. In the first semi-final heat, Frenchman Lucas Chanavat won, while Klæbo secured second place. Erik Valnes went on with a “lucky loser” place. In the second semi-final, Håvard Solås Taugbøl secured the final place in second place.
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Sprint fiasco – no Norwegian women in the semi-finals – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
