It was a united field for a long time and three Swedes were in the nine-rider tight cluster before Karlsson made a move after about three miles. After that, she only extended her lead over the competition.
In the end, the margin of victory was a whopping 1.19.3 ahead of Ebba Andersson.
– I was surprised when I got a gap and thought that “no one remembers a coward, now I’m going for it”, but on the last lap I had to dig for the last forces.
How early did you feel that there would be a profit?
– I never dared to take it out in advance. I hardly dared to accept the Swedish flag at the end because I was so tired that I thought the wall could come at any time, says Frida Karlsson to SVT Sport.
Javascript must be enabled to play video
Hear Frida Karlsson talk about boos from the audience in Holmenkollen. Photo: SVT
Ebba Andersson, in turn, had another six seconds down to third place Katharina Hennig from Germany.
Ebba: “Damn, there went the FK train!”
Three Swedish women made it into the top six, with Jonna Sundling in sixth place, 1.35.5 behind Karlsson.
– It was really a long-awaited podium place and with it also a few steps forward in terms of form. Above all, I am satisfied with the finish, says Ebba Andersson, who had a few hard months after she contracted covid before the Tour de Ski last winter.
What did you think when Frida stung?
– Then I thought “damn, there went the FK train”, haha! She was incredible today, in a class of her own.
Sundling: “Then the cramp came”
For a while it looked like it could be a triple Swedish at the top, but Jonna Sundling’s body didn’t quite respond as she had hoped.
– It was tough. I really gave it a try on the penultimate hill and pushed with what I had, but then the cramp came again and I didn’t have the sprint in me that was needed to reach the podium today, she tells SVT Sport.
Linn Svahn was twelfth and Moa Lundgren 14th.
You can see all placements in the results list below.
