Pre-competition facts Nove Mesto na Morave (CZE)
Jan 15, 2020·Cross-Country
Saturday, 18th January 2020
10km F women
Therese Johaug has won seven of the nine individual distance events in this World Cup season. She was beaten only in the 10km pursuit classic style on 1 January (2nd place) and the the 10km classic style on 3 January (4th place), both stages part of the Tour de Ski.
Johaug only won more than seven individual distance events in a single World Cup season in 2015/16 (14) and 2018/19 (10).
In total, only Marit Bjørgen (62) has won more individual distance World Cup events among women than Johaug (54).
Johaug won the most recent individual distance World Cup event in Nové Mesto na Morave, the 10km freestyle on 23 January 2016.
Five women have won multiple individual distance World Cup events in Nové Mesto na Morave: Katerina Neumannová (2), Bente Skari (2), Elena Välbe (2), Virpi Kuitunen (2) and Charlotte Kalla (2).
Heidi Weng (6) is one of two skiers to claim more than three podium finishes in individual distance events this World Cup season, next to Therese Johaug (8). Weng is in second place behind Johaug in the overall and distance World Cup standings.
Weng's most recent individual distance World Cup win was in the 9km pursuit in Val di Fiemme (Tour de Ski) on 7 January 2018.
Weng is tied with Larissa Lazutina (62 each) in sixth place for most podium finished in individual distance World Cup events among women.
Other contenders
Skiers from Norway have won all nine individual distance events in this season's World Cup: Therese Johaug (7), Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (1) and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (1).
The last individual distance World Cup victory for Natalia Nepryaeva was in the 10km freestyle in Toblach (Tour de Ski) on 30 December 2018.
Ebba Andersson (13) holds the record for most podium finishes in women's World Cup races (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) without ever winning.
Katharina Hennig claimed her first individual podium finish in the 10km classic style in Val di Fiemme. The last female German skier to win an individual World Cup event was Claudia Nystad in the 2.5km freestyle in Falun (World Cup Final) on 20 March 2009.
Jessica Diggins can become the first non-European woman to win a World Cup event (incl. Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in five consecutive campaigns. She currently shares the record of four in a row with fellow American Kikkan Randall (2010/11-2013/14).
15km F men
Alexander Bolshunov is the leader in the overall and distance World Cup standings. Two weeks ago, Bolshunov won the 2019/20 Tour de Ski.
Bolshunov won two individual distance events this World Cup season, the 2x15km skiathlon in Lillehammer and the 15km pursuit classic style in Toblach (Tour de Ski). Sergey Ustiugov (2) and Simen Hegstad Krüger (2) are the other men to win multiple individual distance events this season.
Bolshunov has claimed six podium finishes in individual distance World Cup event this season, more than any other male skier.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is in second place behind Alexander Bolshunov in the overall World Cup standings. Klæbo is currently ranked fifth in the distance standings.
Only Bjørn Dæhlie (46), Petter Northug (32), Vladimir Smirnov (30) and Gunde Svan (30) have won more individual World Cup events (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) than Klæbo (28).
Of Klæbo's 28 individual World Cup wins, eight were in distance events. Each of his last four individual distance victories were stages as part of the Tour de Ski or World Cup Final.
In all disciplines (including overall Tour standings), Klæbo has claimed nine podium finishes this World Cup season (including 6 wins), more than any other male skier (Bolshunov and Sergey Ustiugov both 8).
The last Norwegian man to win an individual distance World Cup in Nové Mesto na Morave was Thomas Alsgaard in the 15km classic on 12 January 2000.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby has won 44 World Cup races (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins). Only Petter Northug (47) and Bjørn Dæhlie (46) have won more men's World Cup events.
Sundby can become the first man to win a World Cup event (incl. Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in 12 different seasons. He currently shares the record of 11 with Northug, Tor Arne Hetland and Vladimir Smirnov.
Sundby has claimed at least one podium finish in a World Cup event (incl. Tour stages and overall Tour standings) in 12 different seasons. Only Smirnov (14), Lukáš Bauer (13) and Pietro Piller Cottrer (13) have claimed podium finishes in at least 13 different men's World Cup seasons.
Sundby's best results this World Cup season was a fifth-place finish in the 2x15km skiathlon in Lillehammer on 7 December 2019.
Other contenders
The last eight individual distance events in the World Cup were won by skiers from either Norway (4) or Russia (4). The opening distance event of the season was won by Iivo Niskanen (15km classic style in Ruka on 30 November).
Russia (12) and Norway (12) have combined claimed 24 of the possible 27 podium finishes in individual distance World Cup events this season.
Simen Hegstad Krüger (2) and Sergey Ustiugov (2) are two of the three male skiers to win multiple distance events this World Cup season, next to Alexander Bolshunov (2).
Ustiugov has claimed five podium finishes in individual distance event this season, one short of his personal record in a single season: six in 2016/17 (including 4 wins).
Ustiugov has won one World Cup event in Nové Mesto na Morave, the sprint freestyle on 11 January 2014. Only Lukáš Bauer (3), Gunde Svan (2) and Vincent Vittoz (2) have won multiple individual World Cup events in Nové Mesto na Morave.
Iivo Niskanen has won four individual distance World Cup events, equal to Jari Isometsä and Matti Heikkinen in third place among Finnish men. Only Mika Myllylä (10) and Harri Kirvesniemi (6) have won more.
Calle Halfvarsson could become the first Swedish skier to finish on the podium of an individual World Cup event since Halfvarsson himself in the 15km classic style in Ruka on 25 November 2018.
Sunday, 19th January 2020
10km C pursuit women
Since the start of 2001, there has been held only one women's World Cup pursuit event outside one of the Tours (Tour de Ski, 3-Days Tour, World Cup Final, Ski Tour Canada). On 17 December 2017, Marit Bjørgen won the 10km pursuit classic style in Toblach ahead of Ingvild Flugstad Østberg and Heidi Weng.
The last six women's pursuit races in the World Cup were won by either Therese Johaug (3) or Østberg (3).
In total, Johaug has won 17 women's pursuit races in the World Cup, at least 11 more than any other skier. Her 32 podium finishes in pursuit races are also 11 more than any other skier.
Only Johaug (17), Bjørgen (6) and Justyna Kowalczyk (6) have won more women's pursuit World Cup races than Østberg (5).
In total, skiers from Norway won 12 of the last 13 World Cup pursuit races, including each of the last six. The only exception in that run was Jessica Diggins' win in the World Cup Final in Falun on 18 March 2018.
Heidi Weng has claimed 21 podium finishes in women's pursuit World Cup races, second-most all-time behind Johaug (32).
Only three of Weng's 21 pursuit podium finishes were victories, most recently in Val di Fiemme as part of the Tour de Ski on 7 January 2018 (9km pursuit freestyle).
The most recent Swedish woman to win a World Cup pursuit event was Stina Nilsson during the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf on 4 January 2017.
Both of the previous two women's pursuit events held in Nové Mesto na Morave were won by Charlotte Kalla: 10km pursuit freestyle events on 29 December 2007 and 1 January 2008 (both Tour de Ski stages).
The last Russian skier to win a World Cup pursuit event was Julija Tchepalova in Bormio (10km freestyle) on 18 March 2000.
15km C pursuit men
This will be the second men's pursuit in the World Cup outside one of the Tours (Tour de Ski, 3-Days Tour, World Cup Final, Ski Tour Canada) since 2001. On 17 December 2017, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won the 15km pursuit classic style in Toblach ahead of Sergey Ustiugov and Alexey Poltoranin.
Since the start of 2018, the nine men's pursuit events in the World Cup have been won by eight different skiers. Only retired Alex Harvey won two pursuit races in this run.
This season, the two World Cup pursuit races were won by Hans Christer Holund (3-Days Tour, 15km pursuit freestyle) and Alexander Bolshunov (Tour de Ski, 15km pursuit classic style).
The last male skier to win multiple pursuit races in a single World Cup season was Martin Johnsrud Sundby in 2015/16 (2).
Only Bjørn Erlend Dæhlie (7) has won more men's pursuit races in the World Cup than Sundby (5). Dario Cologna has also won five men's pursuit World Cup races.
Sundby (12) shares the record for most podium finishes in men's pursuit World Cup races with Petter Northug (12).
Sergey Ustiugov has won two men's pursuit World Cup races, in Quebec on 5 March 2016 (Ski Tour Canada) and in Oberstdorf on 4 January 2017 (Tour de Ski). No Russian male skier (including as Soviet Union and CIS) has won three pursuit races in the World Cup.
The previous two pursuit races held in Nové Mesto na Morave were won by Emmanuel Jonnier for France (29 December 2007) and Pietro Piller Cottrer for Italy (1 January 2008).
