One final Olympic dance for Therese Johaug
Feb 20, 2022·Cross-Country
With the Women’s 30km Mass Start in free technique, the final Cross-Country competition of the Winter Olympic Games 2022 of Beijing was on schedule. Due to strong winds forecasted, the start had been advanced to 11am local time. Despite all acclimatization and adaption to the course set at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country center, the final competition was not just tough from the course profile and altitude, but also due to the ongoing winds and cold temperatures.
Therese Johaug (NOR) had already announced in advance, that todays 30km Mass Start will be her final race at Olympic Winter Games. She was on the start line as the top favorite for the race and ran up front directly from the start. The 33 year-old headed into a very tough start, facing contenders who have proven multiple times, to flourish in rough conditions.
After 7.5km, upon completing the first lap, a leading group by Johaug, Ebba Andersson (SWE), Delpine Claudel (FRA) and Jessie Diggins (USA) had formed and was around 30 seconds ahead of the successors. Skiing up front in the wind, out of a large group did cost a lot of energy and thus, noone was able to follow Therese when she paced up the speed in the second long, wind exposed uphill. It would become the decisive move to claim the victory. Despite all efforts, Therese Johaug was once again a league of her own and was not to be caught up with.
Jessie Diggins had taken in the second position now and Ebba Andersson as well as Delpine Claudel had to set back a bit. At this point into the second lap, the gaps between the racers grew.
For most of the second and third lap, the three front runners skied a lonely race but had to fight hard to keep the margins to the successors. Especially Andersson, who had in the meantime fallen back into the successor group with Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski from Finland, as well as Rosie Brennan (USA) and Jonna Sundling (SWE) re-gained strength and managed to pull away again throughout the third lap.
Heading into her final lap, Therese Johaug had built up a margin of more than 1 minute to Diggins, who had gained another minute on Andersson. The successor group was on the chase to Andersson and crossed into the final 7.5km around 35 seconds behind.
Therese Johaug was sure to race to her third Olympic Gold Medal of Beijing and fourth Olympic Gold Medal of her career today.
Jessie Diggins crossed the finish line 1:43 minute after Johaug and writes history for the US Team again. With her Silver medal, Diggins hands the USA the first Women’s long-distance Olympic Medal ever!
A thrilling fight for the last remaining spot on the podium emerged when the successor group entered the stadium around 50 seconds after Diggins. Kerttu Niskanen, Delpine Claudel and Rosie Brennan tried to smaller the gap to Ebba Andersson, who was still in third position but had lost significant speed. Andersson had fought so hard throughout the entire race to pace herself and keep her position. At the last climb into the stadium, she had too little energy left to keep up with Kerttu Niskanen, who passed her with the others on her heels. In the meantime, also ROC athlete Tatiana Sorina had fought her way up front and in the last turn towards the finish straight, the wind blew back straight against the skiers. It was Kerttu Niskanen who ensured herself the second individual Olympic medal.
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