8,654 spectators followed the drama at Lugnet on Saturday afternoon. Linn Svahn and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the sprint after impressive performances:
— Falun is always one of the highlights of the year, says Linn Svahn.
There was a large crowd when the cross-country skiers competed in their first race during the intense competition days at Lugnet. The event on the program was a freestyle sprint. And Olympic gold medalist Linn Svahn showed her class. She was clearly the fastest in the prologue, and in the final she shifted into top gear already on the first climb. She was chased most closely by Norway’s Kristine Stavås Skistad. But Svahn managed to hold her off, thereby taking her fourth sprint victory in Falun.
— It feels great. Falun is always a highlight of the entire year. It was so much fun to come here and compete in front of this large crowd, says Linn Svahn.
Third place went to Switzerland’s Nadine Fähndrich.
Photo by Ulf Palm
On the men’s side, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s winning streak continued. He arrived in Falun after winning all six gold medals at the Olympics in Val di Fiemme.
— I was very exhausted the first three or four days after the Olympics. I went out for my first ski session yesterday and my body felt good, so I decided to get in the car and drive here. I’m glad I did, smiles Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who claimed his fifth consecutive sprint victory in Falun.
How do you feel about racing at the World Championships here next year?
— We had a home World Championships in Trondheim last year. Now it will be away from home. That’s something I’m looking forward to. It’s fun to compete here; there’s always a great atmosphere, says Klaebo, who won ahead of his compatriot Lars Heggen and Austria’s Benjamin Moser:
— When I was a child, it felt so far away to be able to reach the World Cup podium. I’ve worked for this for 15 years, and now I’ve made it onto the podium for the second time this season. It almost feels unbelievable. And it’s very special to succeed here in Falun. It’s incredibly fun to compete in front of this fantastic crowd, says Moser.
The best Swede was local skier George Ersson, who finished seventh:
— Of course it’s great with a personal best (twelfth was my previous best result). Naturally, I would have liked to reach the final; it was close to being enough for a final spot, says Ersson and continues:
— It would be a dream to compete at the World Championships here next year. It’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since it was decided that Falun would host the championships, says Ersson.