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The U.S. women’s cross-country team really likes the site of today’s Freestyle Sprints, Davos, Switzerland. Last season in Davos, Jessie Diggins (USA) claimed the podium twice including third place in today’s event, the Freestyle Sprint. She also finished first in Davos in 2022 in the 20 kilometer Freestyle and picked up second place that year in the Freestyle Sprint. Last year, Rosie Brennan (USA) finished second in the Classic Pursuit, and also won two races in Davos in 2020, one of them being the Freestyle Sprint. So, it’s fair to say that the top American women like Davos, and like their odds there.
But a quasi-home field advantage by itself wouldn’t be enough for the U.S. squad, as their affection for the Swiss super-luxe resort would be put to a stern test as the American women expected to face off against the usual Swedish all-star Sprint team, and Norway’s always deep roster. But as the day unfolded, and before the racing had even begun, Sweden’s dominance suddenly appeared to unravel. Last year in Davos, Linn Svahn (SWE) re-established herself as a Sprint force winning the race. But Svahn would not be able to defend her crown, as the Swedish team announced that she wouldn’t compete in Davos due to illness. Also, before the start of the qualification round Sweden’s Johanna Hagstroem withdrew. Hagstroem has already been on the Sprint podium twice this season and is one of Sweden’s big Sprinting guns. With two of the top Swedes out before the race even began, the door was thrown wide open for other countries to make it to the podium.
In the qualification rounds, other teams quickly capitalized on Sweden’s thinning ranks, with the Americans qualifying four racers. Jessie Diggins qualified fourth, and she would be joined in the heats by Alayna Sonnesyn, Rosie Brennan, and Julia Kern. Norway also filled the void qualifying six racers. But missing from Norway’s lineup was Kristin Stavaas Skistad. The media adverse Skistad did not race today, and her status is unknown. Last week in Lillehammer marked Skistad’s return to racing after recent abdominal surgery, and her resumption of racing was not auspicious, as she didn’t advance out of the quarterfinals. To add insult to literal injury, she received a yellow card for obstruction and was relegated to last in the heats.
Sweden still had high hopes for the top spot as Jonna Sundling again qualified first beating the field by over four seconds. But she would not have the usual armada of teammates surrounding her as Emma Ribom was the only other Swedish woman to qualify. Ultimately, it didn’t make a difference as even with Sweden fighting shorthanded, Sundling dominated throughout the heats and the finals taking an impressive victory. Mathilde Myhrvold (NOR) took second, with Julie Myhre (NOR), finishing third.
Diggins kept her lead in the Overall World Cup competition over Sundling and Therese Johaug (NOR) by reaching the finals and finishing sixth.
Other American finishers were Rosie Brennan in 18th, Alayna Sonnesyn 22nd, Julia Kern 28th, Lauren Jortberg 38th, Erin Bianco 47th, Haley Brewster 50th, and Renae Anderson 54th.
Liliane Gagnon (CAN) also took advantage of the Swedish lineup changes and put in an impressive performance in the qualifying round, finishing 14th and ended up 26th after the heats. The other Canadian finisher was Sonjaa Schmidt in 49th.
The Women’s Sprints—Quarterfinals
Davos is a bit of a cross-country carnival as the races are held at night under the lights with shooting flames going on and off around the two lap course. “I do like racing at night here,” Brennan said after the race. “That was kind of a new thing last year, and it was cool. You definitely get good crowds, and the course is really well lit, and the flames are cool. It definitely throws off your schedule a bit and makes it super hard to sleep after revving the body like that and probably consuming too much caffeine!” Diggins was also enthusiastic about night racing. “I loved it, I thought it was really-really cool. Having the flame shooters on the final curve was really fun. And also, I kind of forgot that was a thing, so in my quarterfinal when they went off, I was like ‘wow,’ you can actually really feel the heat from the flames so that was pretty exciting. It does change things a little because we’re used to racing in the morning. So you have the day shifted a little bit later, it’s harder to kind of come down from the buzz of racing at night. So we’ll see how sleeping goes tonight, should be really interesting.”
It was also snowing hard at the start of the qualifiers which would create a bit of a wild card. “It made it a little bit harder to pass and maneuver like it has in the past,” said Kern. “My past strategy didn’t work as well today given the strong headwind and new snow. There was really only one lane skied in, so it made it a little tricky to move around, or more costly at least.” Diggins agreed that the falling snow affected racing. “It did affect the conditions a bit. I feel there kind of became one line that was better to ski in, so I think you saw people getting into a single file line a little bit more.” She also noticed that the Norwegian skis in particular were getting faster as the snow continued to fall.
In the first quarterfinal Sundling immediately went to the front and asserted her dominance. She was able to string out the field early and controlled her race from start to finish. The hometown fans were disappointed as Anja Weber (SUI) was not able to advance. Lotta Udnes Weng (NOR) finished second to reach the semifinals.
Canada’s Gagnon was in the second heat and would face off against the strong Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) and Myhrvold. Myhrvold and Joensuu jockeyed for position at the front and the two led the entire race with Myhrvold winning in a photo-finish. Gagnon was not able to stay with the leaders, finished sixth and would not advance.
In the third heat, Brennan faced Germany’s Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek as well as Norway’s Hedda Oestberg Amundsen, and Ane Appelkvist Stenseth. Brennan hung with the lead group at the start and was with them about a minute into the race. She was in the front group coming up the final hill but took it wide and was pushed back into third. Rydzek put in a fierce acceleration coming into the stadium with Stenseth behind her. Brennan finished fourth, and her time wouldn’t be good enough for a lucky loser spot; her day would end. “I felt some fatigue today definitely from the team sprint yesterday,” Brennan said to FasterSkier. “I really like this course and I like racing in Davos. I didn’t quite have the speed that I needed to move through the rounds, but I felt a bit more myself than I have been, so that was encouraging for me.”
Kern was in the fourth quarterfinal. She faced a formidable field going up against the ascending Julie Myhre (NOR), hometown favorite Nadine Faehndrich (SUI), and Katerina Janatova (CZE). Kern has been challenged this season as she still struggles to return to form dealing with an off season injury which forced her to alter her training. Kern was with the leaders early, but she too was pushed wide through a turn and drifted into the back of the field. About halfway through Myhre put in a turn of pace and moved to the front splitting up the pack. She was able to hold her lead into the finish with Nicole Monsorno (ITA) finishing just behind her. Kern finished fourth and she would be done for the day. The local crowd was disappointed as Faehndrich finished fifth and she would not advance, which ended the day’s chances for Switzerland. “I think I am finding my Sprint legs,” Kern told FasterSkier after the race. “But, I feel I’m missing a little bit of the fitness I normally have this time of year, due to the fact that I wasn’t able to do much hard intensity this fall due to my back injury.”
Diggins and Sonnesyn were together in the fifth and final quarterfinal and were next to each other at the start line. They would have to contend with Ribom and Elena Rise Johnsen (NOR). Ribom stumbled at the start, fell, immediately dropped to the back, and her chances of qualifying were over. Diggins took advantage and shot out to the front with Johnsen following her and staying with her through the first half of the race. Diggins forced the pace the entire way and created a large gap over the rest of the field. She cruised into the stadium beating the field by almost two seconds. Lena Quintin (FRA) took a surprising second. Sonnesyn finished fifth and would not advance. Ribom was unable to overcome her catastrophic start and finished sixth.
The Semifinals
Sundling was in the first semifinal and would face off against Myhrvold, Rydzek, Joensuu, Lotta Weng, and Janatova. Sundling has been dominant in Freestyle Sprints and the question at the start of the race was whether anyone could keep up with her initial pace. Once again, Sundling went to the front. The two Norwegians—Myhrvold and Weng— stayed in contact with Sundling, but never really appeared to threaten her. She confidently skied in front the entire way, controlled, and not appearing stressed at all. Sundling maintained her lead all the way across the finish with Myhrvold finishing second. Lotta Weng and Joensuu would secure lucky loser spots.
Diggins was in the second semifinal. She would have to contend with Myhre, Quintin, Monsorno, Stenseth, and Melissa Gal (FRA). Notably, she would not have to face a Swedish woman in this heat. Diggins went out hard at the start and fought with Myhre for the lead. Diggins continued to push the pace as she shot down the first hill. Myhre was able to slingshot past Diggins at the bottom of the hill, but Diggins quickly went back to the front to continue to set the pace. Entering the last downhill Diggins continued to push the pace and Myhre again closed the gap appearing to have the faster skis on the down hills. Diggins pushed to the finish to take the win. Myhre finished second with both lucky losers coming out of the first semifinal.
The Finals
Diggins and Sundling were the most dominant in the heats both having led most of the entirety of their heats. Something would have to give in the final. But Lotta Weng had demonstrated in the semifinal that she had fast skis, and the favorites would need to take that into account. Those three were joined by Myhre, Joensuu, and Myhrvold. It was Sundling who jumped into the lead with an incredible sprint out of the start. Myhrvold was following Sundling with Diggins forced back into fourth. Diggins took a nice inside line on the first corner but couldn’t keep pace with the group. Sundling turned up the pace and Diggins began to be gapped at the back of the group. Entering the final big hill Sundling found another gear and surged away from the pack creating a huge gap. Myhrvold was fighting for second and she managed to hang on to secure the runner’s up spot. Myhre finished third. Diggins was unable to keep up with the tempo and finished sixth.
It was an impressive day for Sweden; despite facing a depleted lineup, they were still able to take the win and cement their spot as the team to beat in Sprint competitions. The American women would have to recalibrate as once again only Diggins was able to advance out of the quarterfinals.
Women’s Freestyle Sprints Davos, Results
