It was a really cheerful start to the cross-country skiing weekend in Falun for the Swedish part. A total of eight ladies and six men advanced from the sprint qualifiers in the solar gas at Lugnet.
Jonna Sundling impressed most of all. When the final session then started around lunchtime on Friday, the Olympic champion once again showed why she is the ski world’s currently strongest sprinter.
In the quarterfinals she was superior, in the semifinals as well. When the final final began, Jonna Sundling accelerated immediately and took an early lead.
She released it never from himself but could go in as an unthreatened number – and also cost himself a gesture of victory even before the finish line. Down to the Slovenian Anamarija Lampic it was just over eight seconds.
– Everything felt perfect from start to finish and I could go exactly as I wanted. I do not know what to say more. Everything has gone my way today, says Jonna Sundling in Viaplay’s broadcast.
With the victory in the World Cup final sprint, Sundling also climbs up to third in the overall sprint cup.
– Maja Dahlqvist was third during the sprint in Falun.
Photo: Johanna Lundberg / Bildbyrån
Maja Dahlqvist – who has already secured the overall victory in the sprint cup – however, seemed to disappear surprisingly early when she finished third in her quarter-final heat behind Julia Kern (USA) and Lotta Udnes Weng (Norway). But the latter was washed and Dahlqvist got a free ticket to compete further.
Strong finishes in both the semifinals and the final ultimately resulted in a third place for Maja Dahlqvist.
For Frida Karlsson, which has had a tough period since the Beijing Olympics, stopped in the quarterfinals. There she was second to last in her heat.
– I’m getting a little war right now, but it’s an absolutely fantastic day and good public support. It’s fun to compete, says Frida Karlsson.
– I’m still happy to be here. But to be completely honest, I have already started thinking about next season, she continues.
On the men’s side, today’s second semifinal, in which both Calle Halfvarsson and Oskar Svensson participated, was a dramatic story. Calle Halfvarsson made an attempt to hang on in the top fight but fell instead. The Frenchman Jules Chappaz also fell.
Despite that, it succeeded Oskar Svensson did not make it to the final which was won by Richard Jouve (France). Thus, Jouve overtook Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and won the men’s sprint cup.
– I thought that Oskar and I would take us to the final today. With two in the semifinals, I think someone should have moved on. It’s a shame, says Calle Halfvarsson when DN meets him in the mixed zone after the semifinals.
At the same time, he took the opportunity to pay tribute to national team colleague Jonna Sundling.
– There is no one who has been as superior as Jonna is right now. It’s just to congratulate her for the achievement, says Halfvarsson.
– Calle Halfvarsson fell in the men’s semifinal.
Photo: Johanna Lundberg / Bildbyrån
The text is updated.
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