Many favorites fight for precious metal in this new discipline
Source: Official Oberstdorf World’s web site http://www.oberstdorf2005.com/index.shtml?en_homepage
The German Cross-Country athletes are still very happy about their medal. The Norwegians already won for the 3rd time. But also the French, Russian and Italian teams are very strong. For the Team sprint free style ladies and men on Friday, 25th February, one may well expect an exciting race. The favorites in the ladies’ category are the Norwegian Marit Bjorgen and Hilde G. Pedersen, who team up well together and have already been successful in some of this year’s World Cups. But also the German team with Claudia Künzel and Viola Bauer are excellent sprinters. For Sweden, Emelie Oehrstig, who just won the WCS Sprint, is entered together with Anna Dahlberg. Both teams, the Italians Arianna Follis and Sabina Valbusa and the Russians Julia Tchepalova, pursuit world champion, and Alena Sidko shouldn’t be underestimated. The ladies have to race six times 900 meters.
The men are very close up. Over the distance of six times 1.2 km, the Swedish team of Björn Lind and Thobias Fredriksson, finds his major rivals in the Norwegian team, Arne Hetland and Tore Ruud Hofstad. Having won the WCS relay silver medal, the German athletes Axel Teichmann (German team sprint champion) and Jens Filbrich are in good spirits to be pushed to top results. The Russian Vassili Rotchev — inspired by his WCS sprint gold medal – and his team mate Ivan Alypov are very eager to win again.
