Finland first in Team Sprint as Niskanen and Joensuu end 12-year wait for win

Finland 1 won the Women's Team Sprint Classic in Cogne, Italy, on Friday, putting an end to Sweden's four-year winning streak.

In their first Team Sprint race together, Classic style specialists Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) and Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) ground the opposition down and got a clear victory, finishing 0.9 of a second before runners-up Johanna Hagstroem and Maja Dahlqvist in Sweden 1. Germany's first team, consisting of Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek, completed the podium.

It was the first time since February 2021 that Sweden did not win a Coop FIS Cross-Country World World Cup Women's Team Sprint. Last time Finland grabbed the first place in the event was through Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Anne Kylloenen in Asiago, Italy, in December 2013.

"This feels so good. It's the first time in a relay with Jasmi so I'm really happy that we could win today," Niskanen, 36, said.

It was a tight race on the fast course, where the pack stayed together for most of the six laps, Finland 1 making sure to always hold one of the front spots. At the end of lap five, Gimmler made a break to bring Germany 1 to a three-second lead down to Finland 1 in second place as she handed over to Rydzek for the last leg. But the chasing pack was never too far away and with one of seven kilometers left to ski, the eight best teams were within seven seconds of each other. 

"My plan was to take a little bit easy in the first lap and then go as fast as I can in the other two laps," said Niskanen, who did lap one, three and five.

"But it was a little bit surprising that every time there was a lot of girls together and it was a rather difficult snow. It was different from in the qualification."

Joensuu led the chase and showed why she is No.2 in the World Cup sprint standings, needing just a minute into the anchor leg to take over the first place. The 28-year-old refused to let anyone pass and kept Dahlqvist, who stormed from seventh to second place in the last kilometer, at a safe distance behind her. It was the first World Cup victory for Joensuu.

"That was amazing. My mum, my manager and her husband are here watching so it's pretty special," she said.

She saw the victory for the new duo as a good sign for the Team Sprint at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, less than a month away.

"I think this worked pretty well so I hope so."

Norway extend Team Sprint streak

Norway 1 won the Men's race, making it two victories in two Team Sprints this season after Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) and Paal Golberg (NOR) won December's Free race in Davos, Switzerland. Last time the Nordic Cross-Country powerhouse did not win a Men's World Cup Team Sprint was in Livigno, Italy, in January 2023.

With Klaebo absent this weekend, however, it was Even Northug and Erik Valnes who claimed the first place after a strong sprint finish by the latter, beating France 1 with Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve by 0.45 of a second as Calle Halfvarsson and Oskar Svensson in Sweden 1 completed the podium.

"It was good, it was a tough race," Valnes said.

Norway 1 had been in fifth place when Northug handed over to Valnes for the last leg. In the front, Jouve and Svensson fought for the first place.

It was a battle that the Frenchman won, but soon faced another obstacle as Valnes had caught up with him. 

In the last downhill section of the race, the Norwegian World Cup sprint No.4 went past him and was unstoppable on the home straight, flying towards the finish line.

"It was fun," Northug said.

"I was feeling good today so it was all about getting Erik in a good position. I felt I failed in the last one but he did a very good job so I'm happy to go on team with him."

Looking ahead to the Team Sprint at the home world championships, Valnes said that "it feels good, of course" to have won. Northug did not want to assume he would compete in the event in Trondheim if Klaebo would be fit to race.

"Maybe, I'm the first reserve now, I hope," the 29-year-old said.

 "Erik and Johannes are still the best but I will be ready if someone gets sick."

The runners-up still had a lot to be happy for. For Chappaz, it was the second World Cup podium of his career, more than a year after his second place in the Sprint Free final in Toblach, Italy, in December 2023. Jouve also made his first appearance on a World Cup podium this season.

For Halfvarsson, who has struggled with back injuries this season, it was also a first World Cup podium in more than a year. Svensson's last top-three finish had been in Ulricehamn, Sweden, in February 2021.

The first World Cup competitions in Cogne since 2019 continue with the individual Men's and Women's Sprint Classic on Saturday.

Click here for full results from the Women's Team Sprint Classic and here for full results from the Men's Team Sprint Classic.

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