This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
It’s weird . . . Skiathlon is hardly ever contested on the World Cup Tour, but is always on Olympic and World Championship event rosters. That means that Olympic and World Championship medals—and the everlasting fame accompanying the winning of those medals—are handed out in an event that hardly anyone ever does. In some years, there is a Skiathlon staged within the Tour de Ski, but the World Cup field can go years in a row without waxing up two different sorts of skis on race morning.
Lillehammer’s 20 k Skiathlon was staged as a dress-rehearsal for the World Championships to be held in Trondheim later this winter. If today’s results are predictive of that later event, the Norwegian hosts are likely to be very satisfied, indeed. Therese Johaug (NOR) returned to the form that made her the most dominant distance skier of her generation, quick-tempoing her way to a 42 second victory over Heidi Weng (NOR) and Jessie Diggins (USA).
In post race interviews with FasterSkier, Diggins commented on her own progression as a Classic skier: “I have worked really really really hard,” she said, “As evidenced by the fact that I’m literally looking around in Classic races watching technique and making notes!”
Diggins entered the day in the World Cup leader’s bib, followed closely by Johaug and Weng. Frida Karlsson continues to nurse a foot injury sustained some weeks ago; she elected not to start today’s Skiathlon. Likewise, Rosie Brennan (USA) is dealing with an undisclosed injury here in the early part of the World Cup season; she chose not to start on Sunday in Lillehammer.
Among American finishers, Sophia Laukli skied to an excellent 11th, ahead of Julia Kern (20th), and Alayna Sonnesyn (43rd). Sydney Palmer-Leger did not finish the race.
Canadian finishers included Liliane Gagnon (34th) and Katherine Stewart-Jones (39th).
Women’s Skiathlon
Hoping to challenge Johaug in a mass-start event? Get a good warmup—a REALLY good warm up—because Johaug is going to go from the gun. No waiting around, no easing into anything, no tactical shenanigans: Johaug just goes. From the start of Sunday’s Skiathlon in Lillehammer, there was a glaring difference between the tempo chosen by Johaug and the tempo chosen by everyone else. Johaug’s metronome is simply set to a much more rapid setting. She doesn’t create the same sort of per-stroke power that her rivals employ, but it’s apparent that the sum total of her many-more pole plants is sufficient to more than make up any power deficit.
Lillehammer’s Skiathlon consists of four laps of a 2.5 k Classic course, then a ski exchange, followed by three 3.3 laps of a Freestyle course. Within the first two kilometers, Johaug’s pace setting hand begun to string out the field, creating an eleven-person breakaway group that included Diggins, Weng, Kerttu Niskanen (FIN), Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR), Ebba Andersson (SWE) Jonna Sundling (SWE) Victoria Carl (GER), Emma Ribom, Katarina Hennig (GER), and Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes (NOR). The early pace created by Johaug and Andersson quickly trimmed away Fosnaes, Hennig, Sundling, Carl, and Ribom, leaving the top five contenders to continue on as a group.
Julia Kern (USA) and Sophia Laukli (USA) skied the opening kilometers together solidly positioned in the top 20.
“The pace in the classic leg started super hot, and it was a quick realization that I wouldn’t keep up,” said Laukli. “But I was anticipating this a bit. Instead of stressing, I’m happy how I just found my rhythm and stayed in control, focused on technique and skied fast but made sure to be conservative so I could ski faster in the skate. So, I’m happy that I managed to play out this tactic well.”
Nearing the end of the Classic leg, Johaug began to reassert the pace, stringing out the lead group. By the ski transition, Johaug led Slind, Weng, and Andersson by eight seconds, with Diggins just another two seconds behind. Diggins would transition quickly, leading the chase group in pursuit of Johaug.
At one point in the broadcast, on-screen announcer Andrew Kastning, was heard to say “We’re seeing a bit of a surge from Johaug.” A more accurate analysis might be that Johaug never, ever, stops surging. She looks not unlike a determined, stubborn little kid racing in a field of adults . . . never willing to let anyone else’s ski tips be out front. Earlier in her career, the World Cup field would simply let her ski away (not that they really could’ve stopped her). Now, after her recent comeback, the primary contenders are not willing to surrender so early, skiing closely in Johaug’s wake for as long as possible. Bet that hurts . . .
Laukli exited the transition in 12th (1:22 behind the leader), attesting to the great improvements she continues to make in Classic skiing. She had no other skiers around her, and would be forced to ski much of the skate leg alone. Kern also skied a solid Classic leg, exiting the transition in 15th in the company of a group of chasers.
Ten seconds, twenty, thirty, forty . . . Johaug continued to press the issue, and her lead over the chasing four continued to grow. Andersson did most of the pacing in the chase, but the camera switches between Johaug and her pursuers made it look like they were racing different events. Johaug’s intensity never waned, while the four in the chase group must’ve begun considering conserving their energy in the race for silver.
Less than a kilometer from the finish, Diggins skidded unsteadily through a sweeping downhill curve, allowing Weng to jump to the lead, an advantage she was able to hold through the finish line. Andersson and Slind crossed the line moments later to round out the top five.
Laukli continued driving forward in pursuit of a group containing Carl, Niskanen, Sundling, and Krist Parmakoski (FIN). She would latch on to the group a kilometer before the finish, having brought Fosnaes up with her. Laukli would finish the day in 11th.
“I would definitely still consider myself a freestyle specialist, and will obviously still work the uphills best,” said Laukli. “But I’ve focused a lot on improving on the flats and descents this year so I can be more in the mix. The first few races this year have shown me that I can now ski more than just uphills, so it means I can be much more motivated and ambitious with skate results in general.”
Kern’s 20th place finish suggests that she’s left her early season question marks behind her, and is rounding into form.
Johaug allowed herself to ease up slightly, just enough to wave to the Norwegian crowd as she crossed the finish line more than 40 seconds ahead of her pursuers. We can stop calling it a “comeback” now. Therese Johaug is the dominant distance skier on the FIS World Cup circuit . . . almost as though she’s never been away at all.
After the race, Diggins was seen in a smiling discussion with Johaug in the finish area: “I was complimenting her on her Classic technique!” Diggins confessed. “I saw that her wax was slipping, and I saw that she held super strong and stable and upright . . . I really admire that, because it’s incredibly hard to do. I think it was really cool to watch. I also think you should never waste an opportunity to compliment someone when they’ve done something well. So I wanted to make sure I told her that!”
Women’s World Cup Skiathlon RESULTS
John Teaford
John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
