OBERSTDORF / OSLO (VG) Jessie Diggins fell after rival rival Frida Karlsson made an illegal track change. Karlsson is penalized with three minutes and has the tour ruined.
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– It’s completely my fault. It is bad that it goes beyond others, says Karlsson to VG and continues:
– I’m pissed, because my body feels good. Now I’m going home to recharge for the Olympics.
For the whole thing can be towards the Swede:
– I hope to find a fast flight home, concludes Karlsson who thus goes to great lengths to suggest that the Tour de Ski is over for her this year.
She brought with her a yellow card from the sprint in Ruka, and therefore receives the time penalty. Karlsson was involved in two falls during Saturday’s joint start, and also fell twice in the WC at the same arena here in Oberstdorf.
– It’s too bad, I put myself in difficult situations, says Karlsson to VG.
–In the first quarter final of the women’s sprint, things went wrong when Karlsson had to change tracks. The Swede went over Diggins’ skis and literally felled the overall leader.
– It’s clear. Such are the rules. She probably loses her head a bit in the field there, it’s done quickly. I feel sorry for those involved, says Tiril Udnes Weng to VG and adds:
– What Frida does is not right.
In the end, it was the Russian Natalia Neprajeva who won the sprint ahead of Johanna Hagström and the Finnish Johanna Matintalo. Mathilde Myhrvold became best Norwegian in fifth place.
Karlsson was the big pre-favorite in the tour, but was in 7th place before stage four of six.
Heidi Weng, who has had a heavy Tour so far, moved on from Saturday’s prologue, but was unable to compete for a place in one of the semifinals.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby warned Karlsson before the tour:
– I felt good, but am simply too bad in the race. Sour, says Weng to VG.
Weng did not understand the situation between Karlsson and Diggins, but spoke to the American after the heat.
– I did not see the situation, but saw Diggins had blood on his arm. She said it went well fortunately, says Weng.
But both Mathilde Myhrvold and Ane Appelkvist Stenseth made it to the semifinals.
The former went on, and Myhrvold was thus ready for his second final in this year’s Tour de Ski. There was a fifth place.
– I’m pretty happy. I lacked a little strength when they set the pace, but happy to get to the final in classic, Myhrvold says to VG.
She does not travel to Italy to go the last two stages.
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