World Championship team sprint

Men’s and women’s team sprint – LIVE from 2.30 pm

Benjamin Moser (right) and Lukas Mrkonjic

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

The Austrian cross-country skiing duos each finished 13th in the cross-country team sprint at the Nordic World Championships in Trondheim on Wednesday. 

Benjamin Moser/Lukas Mrkonjic lost out early after breaking their poles. As expected, Katharina Brudermann/Magdalena Scherz did not make it into the top field either. Johannes Hösflot Kläbo won confidently with Erik Valnes and celebrated his fourth title in Trondheim and his 13th overall.

Johannes Hösflot Kläbo (right) and Erik Valnes celebrate.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Will Kläbo make history on Thursday?
He has now caught up with record world champion Petter Northug in the gold medals. If Kläbo wins gold or silver in the relay on Thursday, he will be the new record holder. With the expected victory in the national competition, the superstar would be the first cross-country skier to achieve five victories at a World Championships. In the team sprint he triumphed with Valnes to thunderous applause from the Norwegian fans ahead of the Finns Ristomatti Hakola/Lauri Vuorinen (+4.10 sec.) and the Swedes Oskar Svensson/Edvin Anger (+4.11).

Norwegians came away empty-handed
The women's race was won by Sweden's Jonna Sundling/Maja Dahlqvist ahead of the US duo Jessica Diggins/Julia Kern (+2.9 sec.) and Switzerland's Anja Weber/Nadine Fähndrich (+9.1). This meant that the fourth women's cross-country gold in Trondheim also went to Sweden, with Norway's Lotta Udnes Weng/Kristine Stavaas Skistad (7th) looking through their fingers.

ÖSV men in bad luck
The ÖSV duos had no chance after a successful qualification. "More would have been possible, my broken pole in the first round was really unfortunate, you lose a brutal number of places," said Mrkonjic. Moser tried to see the positives. "The atmosphere and the fans are a unique experience. It's a privilege what we get to do here. There are much worse things in life, but when stupid things like the broken stick happen, it's a shame of course," said Moser. The Tyrolean is also running the relay and possibly the 50 km marathon.

More would have been possible, my broken pole in the first lap was really unfortunate, you lose a lot of places.

Lukas Mrkonjic

For the World Championship debutants Brudermann and Scherz, even making it to the final was a success. "We're happy, the goal was to qualify, we did that and we gave it our all in the final. We can't blame ourselves," said Brudermann, who is also still competing in the 50 and lives in Norway.

Cross-country skiing, classic team sprint - women:
1st Jonna Sundling/Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) 20:51.6 min.
2. Jessie Diggins/Julia Kern (USA) +2.9 sec.
3rd Anja Weber/Nadine Fähndrich (SUI) +9.1
Next:
13th Katharina Brudermann/Magdalena Scherz (AUT) +2:05.5

Cross-country skiing, team sprint classic - men:
1st Erik Valnes/Johannes Hösflot Kläbo (NOR) 18:27.71 min.
2nd Ristomatti Hakola/Lauri Vuorinen (FIN) +4.10 sec.
3rd Oskar Svensson/Edvin Anger (SWE) +4.11
Next:
13th Benjamin Moser/Lukas Mrkonjic (AUT) +1:07.46