Siri Wigger Unstoppable on Her Way to Gold
Jan 18, 2020·Cross-Country
Siri Wigger (SUI) was unstoppable on her way to the gold medal in the women’s Cross-Country Cross.
The 16-year-old won her qualification and semifinal before taking the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games title in front of a charged home crowd in Vallee de Joux. Wigger finished ahead of Swedes Maerta Rosenberg and Tove Ericsson in the final, who took silver and bronze respectively. But the win did not come easy.
During the final Wigger was quickly lead out by the Swedish pair. For much the race the Swedes controlled the pace and looked as if they would complete a 1-2. But Wigger had other plans and with a final burst of energy over took the Swedish duo in the final 50m.
“I wanted to be in a good position but not necessarily first or second,” Wigger said. “I just wanted to have some energy for the finish. I was tired but it was OK.”
Her effort drew praise from her opponents. “Siri came in very fast, like the wind,” Rosenberg said.
Ericsson added “The biggest challenge is not to be too tired between the races. It’s easy to be nervous (while waiting) and get tired before the final.”
The women now look to tomorrow, where the sprint races are set to take place. Action kicks off at 13:00pm.
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