Stadlober tops in Oslo

Strong! Stadlober just misses out on a podium place

Teresa Stadlober

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Teresa Stadlober from Salzburg narrowly missed out on her first World Cup podium finish in four years at the prestigious cross-country classic on the Holmenkollen. The 31-year-old lost the final sprint for third place to Germany's Katharina Hennig after 50 km in Oslo on Saturday and finished fourth, just like last year. "It really ticks me off. But it was a race at the highest level and my last lap was really strong," she said at the finish.

The Swedes celebrated a double victory on the home turf of their badly beaten Norwegian arch-rivals with Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson.

"A 50 here is very difficult. I tried, but it hurts extremely when you come into the home straight in third place and then narrowly lose," said Stadlober after narrowly missing out on the podium again in one of the most important races in the World Cup. She just has to keep working on her sprint qualities and wait for the next opportunity, added the Olympic bronze medallist. In the current season, she had already finished fourth in the skiathlon in Trondheim.

Victory with a one-minute lead
In Oslo, Stadlober was 0.2 seconds behind Hennig after the marathon in the classic technique. Karlsson, who won the marathon by a superior margin, had already pulled away from the leading group 20 km before the finish and ultimately won by over a minute. Andersson pulled away from Stadlober and Co. ten kilometers before the finish. In the final phase, the cyclist from Radstadt attacked, only Hennig was able to follow her and caught her at the finish line.

The men's 50 with Mika Vermeulen is on the program on Sunday.