Faehndrich finishes first in Tallinn as Joensuu secures Sprint title

Nadine Faehndrich (SUI) finished first the Women's Sprint Free in Tallinn (EST) on Wednesday, bagging her second victory this Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup season.

In the evening races on the streets of the Estonian capital, the Swiss 29-year-old had the best qualifying time and went on to win her quarter- and semifinal confidently before beating Sweden's runner-up Maja Dahlqvist by 0.98 second in the final as Julia Kern (USA) finished third.

It was the fifth podium this winter for Faehndrich, whose won the Tour de Ski Sprint Classic in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in January. Having previously seen herself as a Classic specialist, Faehndrich said she saw the victory as a sign of getting back into shape also in Freestyle events.

"I'm very happy," she said.

"This year I felt better in Classic but I know I wouldn't completely lose in skating and I would come back (into good shape) if I do it more often, and I feel happy that I'm back."

It took only a few seconds on the narrow track for Faehndrich to take the lead in the final. After the first of two climbs, she had got herself a gap of several meters back to the rest of the pack that she did not let go of and could cruise to victory with little worry about what was going on behind her.

"It was really hard, it's a tough track but I really like it and just try to go as fast as I can," Faehndrich said.

Andorra's Gina Del Rio, with a Sprint 21-place in Lahti (FIN) last year as her previously best World Cup result, had sensationally made it to her first final and there she showed that she was not just there to watch and learn. The 21-year-old tucked in behind Faehndrich and was the only skier who could keep up with the Swiss for the first half of the race. In the second uphill section, Dahlqvist and Kern pushed past Del Rio, who had to settle for an impressive fourth place.

On the home straight, 30-year-old Dahlqvist showed why she was crowned a Team Sprint World champion a couple of weeks ago as she increased the gap back to Kern, who still celebrated her third place as if it had been a victory. 

And understandably so. It was the 27-year-old's second individual podium and the first one in more than five years, having finished third in the Sprint in Planica, Slovenia, in December 2019.

Kern had earned her place in the final after a dramatic semifinal finish where she managed to push in front of Kristine Stavaas Skistad (NOR) in the last centimeters of the race, beating the Norway superstar by two hundredths of a second.

Coletta Rydzek (GER), who had qualified for the final as a lucky loser after being fourth in the other semifinal, claimed the fifth place, beating No.6 Jasmi Joensuu by two seconds after finishing 8.42 behind the winner.

Joensuu still had plenty to celebrate in the penultimate World Cup stage of the season as she secured the Sprint Crystal Globe.

The Finnish 28-year-old, who has made it to six Sprint finals this season, with a second place at the Tour de Ski Sprint Free in Toblach, Italy, as her best result, has earned 767 points and a gap of 129 down to Sprint standings No.2 Faehndrich with one Sprint left of the season. She is the second Finn after 2007 winner Virpi Sarasvuo (formerly named Kuitunen) to achieve that feat.

Faehndrich, who won this season's Tour de Ski Sprint prize, however, said she did not think too much about protecting her place on the Sprint standings podium.

"It feels very good but I just try to focus on my job, to do the best that I can, and go run for run," she said.

The skiers only get two days to recover before the World Cup continues with the last stage of the season in Lahti, starting with the Sprint Free on Friday. There, Dahlqvist, in third place in the Sprint standings on 616 points, needs to beat Faehndrich by 22 points to take over the second place.

Click here for full results from the Women's Sprint Free and here to see the Women's Sprint standings.