Kristin Stormer Steira and Junior skier Petter Northug (19) both won their first Norwegian Championship titles in Saturday’s pursuit races at Kongsberg.
Kristin Stormer Steira after winning the women’s pursuit race:
– It felt like we were lost during the race. I have not experienced this type of chaotic circumstances in a race of this magnitude before, but I have not experienced this type of huge snowfall prior to a race before either, said Stormer Steira after the race.
She and Hilde G. Pedersen went to the front early in the classic part of the race and controlled the pace.
– My goal was to hang on to Hilde in the classic part. She had a tough transition to skate skis and I got a gap out on the skate part, said Steira.
H. G. Pedersen ended up in second and Kristin Stemland was third. Gjermudshaug almost got tangled up in a TV cable while Stemland was almost run down by a mobile TV camera when she had to change lane. Both said however that the best skier won.
Women’s pursuit result: http://www.langrenn.com/cparticle298658.html
Junior Skier Northug won the Norwegian Pursuit Championship
Petter Northug (19) is the first junior that has won a Norwegian senior national championship. Silvermedalist Frode Estil said after the race that even Tobias Angerer would have had a tough time with Northug’s acceleration at the end of Saturday’s race. Estil had already at the post race press conference announced that Northug would be tough to beat in the pursuit race. Northug himself had also made a bold announcement to the press before the race:
— I traveled to this championship to capture a medal. It can be gold if everything works out, said Northug after being demoted to race the Scandinavian Cup instead of World Cup the previous week.
In a class by himself
There were no doubts who would win when Northug accelerated and passed Estil with 500 meters to go.
– There are not many in the World that can beat Northug in a skate acceleration. He is faster than Angerer and I don’t think he would have beaten him in today’s sprint either, said Estil
Tough classic part
Northug felt in good control during the race and started to believe he could medal after the classic part was over.
— The classic portion was tough, but I was in the chasepack with Skjeldal, Andresen and Gaustad, 25 seconds behind Frode Estil and started to feel good, said Northug.
— I know how fast Northug can sprint so my plan was to ski fast in classic, but I didn’t ski fast enough there and didn’t skate especially well either, said Estil
Jan Egil Andresen expressed after the race that Petter Northug would beat Tore Ruud Hofstad in the following day’s relay if they met on the last leg.
Northug had this to say about that: – I would ski behind him until 500-meter to go. That’s when I would ski away, said Northug.
AND THAT’S PRETTY MUCH WHAT HAPPENED IN THE RELAY!
Full results from the men’s pursuit: http://www.langrenn.com/cparticle298666.html
Source: Langrenn.com
