As cowbells and horn music echoed through the course, the women’s 20 k classic marked the final competition before athletes enjoy a brief rest ahead of the Tour de Ski later this month. However, the start list for today’s race was missing several notable names, hinting that some top competitors may still be opting for a conservative start to this World Championships season.
Many had written off the top position on the podium as an easy win for Therese Johaug (NOR), a skier renowned for her dominance in distance events and current leader of the distance standings. With key Swedish athletes like Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson, Linn Svahn, and Jonna Sundling sitting out, as well as Heidi Weng (NOR), the start list for today’s competition was shorter than usual.
This created an opportunity for others to challenge for the podium. On the final day of the Davos World Cup, it became evident who was feeling the effects of the weekend’s racing. With many top athletes strategically opting to skip Friday and Saturday’s sprint competitions, tired legs certainly played a role in today’s performances.
Victoria Carl (GER), Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR), Krista Parmakoski (FIN), Kerttu Niskanen (FIN), Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes (NOR), Katharina Hennig (GER), and Teresa Stadlober (AUT), who have all achieved consistent top-15 results in distance events this season, were waiting for an opportunity to advance onto the podium. Perhaps having known this, none of these athletes started Saturday’s sprint. For Americans Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan, who competed in both the sprint qualifier and heats yesterday, the additional fatigue may have posed a slight disadvantage.
The podium was largely decided from the outset of today’s competition, as Johaug, Slind, and Niskanen established an early lead that steadily grew throughout the race. Johaug led through most intermediate checkpoints but began losing ground after the 16.5 k checkpoint. Slind, meanwhile, maintained her momentum and accelerated through the final kilometers to secure her first-ever World Cup victory, finishing 10.1 seconds ahead of Niskanen. Johaug crossed the line in third, 13.5 seconds behind Slind.
Diggins and Brennan skied comfortably, finishing 7th and 8th, respectively, to secure spots in the top-10. Other American finishers included Sydney Palmer-Leger in 28th, Haley Brewster in 35th, and Alayna Sonnesyn in 37th. Canada’s Katherine Stewart-Jones also skied to a 22nd place finish.
“Today, I definitely wanted to just feel like I was in the race, and able to push when I wanted to and hold pace throughout,” Brennan shared following the competition. “I feel when I am racing at my best, that puts me in the fight.”
As Team USA eases into the season, these early races may highlight room for improvement, especially given the team’s recent transition to on-snow training. “I don’t think I was quite there today,” Brennan reflected, “but it was definitely a step in the right direction for me. I felt a bit more open and able to ski the way I wanted to and find some ability to push a bit out there. I think I’m still missing that top end that will hopefully bring me closer to where I want to be, but all you can ask for is a step in the right direction.”
Women’s 20 k Classic Individual Start
While Johaug was a strong favorite entering the competition, the other podium spots were open for new names to step up today, with some of the strongest World Cup distance skiers missing from the start list. Early starters Niskanen, Slind, Brennan, and Hennig maintained similar splits through the first five kilometers, with Niskanen and Slind gradually pulling away to build a steady lead over the others. By the 9.3 k checkpoint, Niskanen and Slind had established a commanding 45 second advantage over Brennan and Hennig, positioning themselves as clear contenders for the podium.
In many ways, the podium positions were already decided within the first few kilometers of the race. The early lead by Niskanen and Slind, combined with Johaug’s well-established strength in distance events, solidified the trio as podium contenders. By the second half of the competition, it was clear that the podium was out of reach for the chasing pack. At the 16.5 k checkpoint, Slind, Niskanen, and Johaug held a lead of more than 30 seconds over Carl and Parmakoski, and a 1.5-minute lead over early contenders Brennan and Hennig.
The specific order on the podium remained uncertain until the final moments of the race. While Johaug may have dominated this competition two years ago, her return this season left more to be decided. Though she established an early lead through the initial checkpoints, Niskanen also positioned herself as a strong contender in the middle kilometers. Only second to Johaug, Niskanen’s lead over Slind grew to 7 seconds around the 12.4 kilometer checkpoint.
Between 14 and 16 kilometers, Slind shifted into high gear, steadily closing the gap on Niskanen and ultimately overtaking her. From there, Slind continued to build her lead through the final kilometers of the competition.
Spectators held their breath through the final kilometers of the day, watching Johaug’s narrow lead over Slind dwindle. By the 16.5-kilometer checkpoint, Johaug was just 1 second ahead, a margin that shrank to 0.5 seconds by 18.5 kilometers. In the final stretch, Johaug couldn’t maintain her pace, dropping back to finish 13.5 seconds behind Slind and 10.1 seconds behind Niskanen, settling for third place.
With Johaug out of the way, Slind skied to her first-ever World Cup victory after 59 race starts and five podiums. “I can’t really believe it,” Slind shared following the race. “I never thought this would happen and at least not when Therese is back in the start. I thought I was fighting for second place the whole time and suddenly I realized this could be a win. I don’t know what to say.”
Outside the podium, positions in the top-10 saw more movement throughout the competition. Carl had a strong start, achieving some of the fastest splits early in the race. An exciting battle unfolded between Carl and Johaug in the opening kilometers, with Johaug leading by 3.2 seconds at the first checkpoint before Carl reclaimed the advantage by the 4.2-kilometer mark, edging ahead by 1.1 seconds.
As the race progressed, Johaug extended her lead over Carl, who contended for a position in the top-5 against Parmakoski. However, Carl began to fall off the pace around the 15-kilometer mark and ultimately dropped back during the final lap. In the end, Parmakoski skied to a 4th place finish and Carl followed closely behind in 5th.
Teammates Diggins and Brennan joined Carl in the battle for top-5 positions. Diggins posted strong splits early in the race but appeared to be fading by the 16-kilometer checkpoint. As one of the few top-athletes who competed in all three competitions this weekend, including all three sprint heats, it’s likely this may have been one of the few occasions in which Diggins ran out of steam. Brennan with strong splits throughout, maintaining her position in the top-10. “I was happy with my pacing, I held very consistent through the whole race which is always a good thing,” Brennan shared with FasterSkier.
Results from the Davos women’s 20 k classic individual start
