Norway's second team 'fool everyone' as hosts claim mixed relay top spots
Dec 11, 2022·Cross-Country
Norway finished off the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup at Beitostølen, Norway, with a dominant display on Sunday as the host nation claimed first and second place in the mixed 4x5km relay classic/free, Sweden finishing third.
It was however not Norway's first team of Anne Kjersti Kalvå, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, Heidi Weng and Emil Iversen who won the race. Instead, Norway II, with Lotta Udnes Weng, Mikael Gunnulfsen, Silje Theodorsen and Simen Hegstad Krüger, celebrated their upset at the top of the podium.
It was the first time at the World Cup podium for Gunnulfsen and Theodorsen, and the first World Cup victory for Weng.
"It was amazing. We fooled everyone," Gunnulfsen said.
"Everyone thought Norway I was the best team today but we fooled everyone and sent the second best team over the finish line first."
Kalvå and Nyenget had brought Norway I to a nine-second lead after the first two legs. Then Sweden I's Frida Karlsson came in with a high pace to take the front position and Theodorsen followed, bringing Norway II and Sweden I more than seven seconds ahead of Norway's first team at the 15km mark.
"When I got to the exchange area I just pushed Silje away and she never stopped," Gunnulfsen said about Theodorsen's strong race.
"We knew we had a strong team even though we were the second team and it was a really good feeling when I got those small seconds in the end," Krüger said after finishing with a 5.5-second margin.
"The others in the team had done such a good job in the first three legs so it was really cool to finish in this way."
Halfvarsson had to battle it out for the second place with Iversen, but could not respond to the Norwegian's strong sprint and had to settle for his second third place this weekend.
Finishing third with Maja Dahlqvist and William Poromaa, Karlsson also claimed her second podium finish at Beitostølen, having finished third in Saturday's distance race.
Fourth-placed Finland I had been 14.2 seconds behind the front coming into the last leg but finished far behind the top trio as Joni Maki lost more than half a minute in the remaining 5km of the race.
Concluding a three-day weekend of cross-country action at Beitostølen, it was the second time that the mixed 4x5km relay took place in the World Cup. The only other time, in Falun, Sweden, in March, USA had claimed the victory before Finland and Norway.
The World Cup continues on 17 and 18 December in Davos, Switzerland.
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