"Did you know" Lahti 2017 Ladies' Relay
Aug 31, 2018·Cross-Country
World Championships – Ladies' Relay – 2 March
Norway favourites for fourth consecutive WOC relay gold
Norway has won the previous three ladies' relays in World Championships and could win their fourth consecutive gold in this event. Russia won five WSC relays in a row 1993-2001.
Norway has won the last nine World Cup ladies’ relays since Italy won in Rybinsk in February 2011.
Norway did not participate in Rybinsk, which makes Norway undefeated in a ladies’ relay in the World Cup and World Championships for more than seven years, since Sweden beat Norway at home in Beitostølen in November 2009.
Marit Bjørgen is the only athlete for the Norwegian team in Lahti who was a part of the team in all the three previous relay gold medals. Bjørgen also won the relay with Norway in 2005.
If Bjørgen wins her fifth gold medal in this event only Larissa Lazutina and Nina Gavriljuk (both 6) have won more gold medals in the ladies' relay.
Norway has won 99 gold medals in the history of the World Championships in cross country skiing and could win their 100th gold on Thursday.
Norway has won 19 WSC medals in the women’s relay, equal most with Soviet Union. Finland is third with 16 medals.
USA has never won a relay for women, but has finished on podium in four of the last seven World Cup relays held. USA finished outside the podium in both relays held this season.
Finland has finished on the podium in six of the seven relays held since the WSC in 2013, finishing outside the podium in the last relay held, in Ulricehamn in January 2017.
Since Germany’s win in 2003, Finland is the only other team than Norway to win WSC relay women’s gold, winning in 2007 and 2009.
Sweden finished third in Ulricehamn and La Clusaz this season. This was their first podium in a World Cup relay for the first times since November 2012, when they were second at home in Gällivare. Sweden was the last team to beat Norway in a World Cup relay, in Beitostølen 2009. Sweden also won the gold medal in the Olympic Games 2014 and finished in silver medal position, behind Norway, in the last three World Championships (2001, 2013, 2015).
When Germany finished second in the last relay held, in Ulricehamn, it was their first podium since they were second in Lahti in March 2010. Germany won bronze in the Olympic Games 2014. Germany’s last relay victory came in Falun in March 2007.
Russia has not finished on the podium in a World Cup/WSC/OWG relay since they won a bronze medal in the WCh in 2013. Russia’s last relay victory was at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino.
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