Dahlqvist & Sundling unbeatable at Dresden Teamsprint
Dec 19, 2021·Cross-Country
On schedule for raceday number two in at the Dresden City Sprint was the Team Sprint in Free Technique. From the early morning hours, an eye had to be kept on the weather, as wind had picked up and increased during the morning. The conditions did not hold back athletes to perform at top level for Dresden’s final World Cup race.
The current Sprint queen Maja Dahlqvist was teamed up with yesterdays second placed Jonna Sundling and the two took the lead right from the Semifinal A. Team Russia I was on the chase with Hristina Matsokina and Natalia Nepryaeva and qualified with the second best time. As in Team Sprints the best four teams of the Semifinals qualify directly into the finals, also Team Norway I (Kristine Stavaas Skistad and Mathilde Myhrvold) as well as Team Finland I (Jasmin Kahara and Jasmi Joensuu) took the direct road into the finals.
The second Swedish team, Jenny Solin and Moa Lundgren were on the heels of their team colleagues but lost precious meters on the final stretch. In the fastest “Lucky Looser” position, Team Sweden II also qualified for the finals.
At the Womens Semifinal B, Magni Smedaas and Julie Myhre from Team Norway II set the pace but could not get the Slovenian Team with Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic off their heels. The US duo with Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern showed an incredible recovery after Jessie was caught at an uneven spot in along the course. Diggins & Kern finished the Semifinal B in first place, 0.3 seconds before Slovenia and the German Team II with Laura Gimmler and Sofie Krehl. Norway II qualified in fourth position before the second “Lucky Looser” team of the day with Flora Dolci and Lena Quintin from France.
The Womens Finals were quite eventful. 6 laps for each athlete had to be run. All up front, with the plan to stay ahead and out of trouble, Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling had positioned themselves.
Half way through the finals, the runner up Diggins and Eva Urevc got involved in a race accident at the major turning point. What seemed like a game changer for the final standing was the trigger for the fallen teams to gear up.
“I am well proud of Julia, she skied so fast and so smooth and smart. I think I needed that fall actually to get my head really into the game,” said Jessie in the finish.
Despite the incident had freed the way for Team Finland, Russia and Norway, it was not long until Kern & Diggins as well as Lampic & Urevc were back on the Swedes heels and crossed the finish line after a spectacular return in second and third position.
