Sander Skotheim won his first senior medal when he took EC silver in the indoor heptathlon last year. On Sunday evening, he had the opportunity to take his first WC gold. Then the task was clear: He had to beat Swiss Simon Ehammer with 154 points in the final 1000 metres, which based on Skotheim’s personal record (2.37.63) was equivalent to around 14 seconds. Ehammer’s personal record for the distance, 2.49.78, is just over twelve seconds behind Skotheim’s pers. Both of them have personal records set earlier this year. – It will be hard, but we have to try, said coach Eirik Røe earlier on Sunday. Together with Estonian Johannes Erm, Skotheim helped set the pace from the start. After 600 meters they already had nine seconds down on Ehammer and after 800 meters Skotheim set the pace himself. Skotheim pushed by over four seconds to 2.33.23, but behind Ehammer just managed to save himself with a time of 2.46.03 and won with 6418 points, eleven points more than Skotheim. – He “persists” with an ocean, says news’s athletics expert Vebjørn Rodal about Skotheim. Had Skotheim run 99 hundredths faster in the 1000 metres, the Norwegian would have taken the gold. – It is terribly sad, says Skotheim to news. – Do you feel it is a silver that has been won or a gold that has been lost? – Right now a bit of a lost gold, says Skotheim. CLOSE TO GOLD: Sander Skotheim was close to taking the first Norwegian gold in the indoor WC since 1995. Photo: AP Chasing the first gold since 1995 Skotheim was virtually close to gold with 200 meters to go, but in the last round Ehammer showed that he had managed to save some energy and kept pace with the Norwegian. – Ehammer was cold-blooded who dared to let Skotheim down so much at the start, says Rodal. – I am very happy. It could have been better, I lost a lot of points in altitude, so I had to run faster, says Ehammer with a smile. Geir Moen is the only Norwegian to have won gold in the indoor WC. He did so when he won the 200 meters in 1995. Outdoors, Norway has won several WC gold medals in recent years, including Jakob Ingebrigtsen who won the 5000 meters last year. Norwegian medals in the indoor WC Gold: Geir Moen – 200 meters – 1995 Silver: Jakob Ingebrigtsen – 1500 meters – 2022 Karsten Warholm – 400 meters – 2024 Bronze: Georg Andersen – shot put – 1989 Hanne Haugland – height – 1997 Rodal: Underperformed in several exercises In a heptathlon there are of course many moments that can be decisive. One of them came in the pole vault earlier Sunday. – He has underperformed in relation to his maximum level in both height and pole. And heck earlier Sunday morning. It is he himself who has made the starting point before the last exercise a little difficult in terms of gold, said Rodal before the final 1000 metres. In the pole vault, Skotheim has a better personal record (5.35) than Ehammer (5.21), but on Sunday it was Ehammer who jumped 5.20, while Skotheim had to settle for 5.10. Especially in the last attempt of 5.20, Skotheim was very close to going over, which would have meant that he would have had around three seconds less to catch up on Ehammer in the 1000 metres. – If I had gone over the last height of 5.20 in the city, it would have been enough, but you don’t do that and you can’t think back that you should have done things you couldn’t. I am very proud of myself in the 1000 meters and I felt I got out what I was good at. – I felt I had much higher heights inside than what I was shown. It could easily have been both 5.20 and 5.30, but it stopped at 5.10. It’s certainly a good result, so I’ll take it with me. But I see that I can jump 5.20-5.30 if I just get stability in the approach, says Skotheim further. Skotheim’s results in the heptathlon 60 meters: 7.06 seconds Length: 7.75 meters Shot put: 14.58 meters Height: 2.13 meters 60 meters hurdles: 8.05 seconds Pole vault: 5.10 meters 1000 meters: 2.33.23 PS ! Markus Rooth was in fifth place after six of seven exercises, but stood over the final 1000 meters due to a small thigh injury. Scandalous scenes in the World Cup: – Oi! It is extremely dangerous! 00:47 Klæbo – he hugged me tightly 00:51 Mowinckel paid tribute to Kvitfjell 00:48 Tøyser with comfort from mom 00:59 Show more
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