The 30-year-old from Lundamo ran a perfectly tactical race and secured Norwegian silver. After silver in the team sprint and gold in the relay, Kalvå took his first individual WC medal. And that despite the fact that, as at the initial joint start with a ski change, she tripped when she was going to change skis midway through the race. On the run, she was pushed hard by Frida Karlsson, but Norway’s best managed to stay away. With three WC medals, Anne Kjersti Kalvå has once and for all gotten rid of the label as “Marit Bjørgen’s cousin” and “Didrik Tølnseth’s roommate”. – Absolutely fantastic, says national team coach Stig Rune Kveen, who has followed Kalvå closely through a season that started extremely difficult. – I am a little moved, admits Kveen, who predicts a golden match for the student on home ground in Trondheim in two years. The World Cup effort is almost unfathomable after the way the training season started. Kalvå ended last season with corona, and was far down both physically and mentally. In an interview with news before the WC, she talked about the start-up conversation she had with the new national team coaches Kveen and Sjur Ole Svarstad in May. – They asked the same question, what is your goal for that season here, and then I almost couldn’t see that I could become a good enough skier to start in a WC. So I said that I can’t answer that question now, because I’m not able to train, so a bit has probably happened in the past half year, she stated. However, the superb Andersson Ebba Andersson was nothing to do with. The 25-year-old from Sollefteå to take the first individual WC gold of his career in the 15-kilometer. After a disappointing relay on Thursday, she bounced back with another gold. At the finish line, she was 53 seconds ahead of Kalvå. The Norwegian women left it to the Swedes to do the drag job for the first mile of today’s WC three-mile. Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson willingly took on that responsibility, but without Anne Kjersti Kalvå, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Astrid Øyre Slind and Tiril Udnes Weng having problems hanging on. Also Finnish Kerttu Niskanen – and several others – got along well. After 12 kilometers, Andersson put in the first real push. Then there was a stretch in the field, and Østberg and Weng were among those who had to drop first. The only ones who managed to follow were Kalvå, Niskanen and American Rosie Brennan. Halfway through the race, Andersson went in and changed skis, much to the surprise of news’s expert commentator Torgeir Bjørn: – Why on earth is she doing that, he exclaimed. But all the pursuers did the same, and thus it did not change the close-up at all. After 15 kilometres, she led 19.8 seconds ahead of Kalvå, 23.3 ahead of Niskanen and 24.4 ahead of Brennan. Just like at the joint start with ski change, Anne Kjersti Kalvå had trouble with her ski change. But when she first came back, it turned out that Kalvå’s new pair had a very good relationship. – This second pair is a raw lot, stated Torgeir Bjørn. Nevertheless, Andersson continued to increase his lead and decided the gold match. Behind, a group consisting of Kalvå, Niskanen, Brennan, Svahn and Frida Karlsson gathered, who were to settle for the other medals. Kalvå’s strategy was clear; to use as little effort as possible, but without falling behind in the group. On the last climb, Frida Karlsson shifted to the front. Kalvå stuck to his back. – Now you have to turn on the switch, national team coach Stig Rune Kveen roared at the last seconds, and then Kalvå did it. She got meters above a hilltop and got off on the good skis.
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Superb WC gold for Andersson – Kalvå secured Norwegian silver – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
