Johaug wins 50km Classic in Lahti to end World Cup season on a high

Having said before the race that she was “99.9% sure” she would not race next season, Therese Johaug ended the 2024/25 campaign on a high on Sunday with a dominant victory in the 50km Classic Mass Start in Lahti, Finland, the final race of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup.

The Norwegian legend, 36, had a disappointing FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, where she failed to win a gold medal, she believes, because of difficult snow conditions.

Under blue skies in southern Finland, the tracks were fast having firmed up overnight, and the tough, undulating course suited Johaug – one of the lightest women on tour – perfectly. She dominated the uphill sections, taking advantage of the absence of world champion Frida Karlsson (SWE), who was also the winner of last season’s 50K in Oslo, Norway.

Johaug, who has made a career out of leading from the front, didn’t take long to get into her stride. She set the early pace along with Oeyre Astrid Slind (NOR) and by the end of lap two, Johaug had already opened up a 5.2-second gap on her compatriot, with the chasing pack already nearly one minute behind.

Johaug increased her advantage lap by lap and entered the stadium section for the final time so far ahead that she was able to slow down and milk in the applause of the crowd as she crossed the line in two hours, 14 minutes and 40.7 seconds for her seventh win of the World Cup season, more than any other woman.

“I had a really, really good day,” Johaug said. “My shape is really good at the moment and my skis were perfect. I just really enjoyed it out there, it was good to have some power.

“I was so happy when I saw the conditions this morning, I have never raced a 50K in these conditions before so it was so much fun.

“It’s really good that the season is over and to be able to celebrate with first place in the 50K.”

With overall World Cup champion Jessie Diggins (USA) struggling to keep up with the pace, Slind – who also had a disappointing world championships on her home track – had an outside chance of catching the US athlete to claim the distance title. The Norwegian began the day 95 points behind, but picked up 12 points at each of the six bonus checkpoints to make things interesting.

Despite struggling on the uphill sections, Diggins dug in to claim ninth place, meaning she held on to the distance title ahead of Slind by just two points. Victoria Carl (GER), who came eighth, held on to third in the distance rankings ahead of Kerttu Niskanen (FIN), who was beaten to fifth place in the race by Katharina Hennig (GER).

But the real race was for third place between Ebba Andersson (SWE) and Teresa Stadlober (AUT), who had been trading places since lap five, when they broke away from the chasing pack. With superior finishing power, the Swede burst clear in the final kilometre to claim her fourth podium of the World Cup season, after she won three gold medals at the recent world championships.

The final word, though, goes to Diggins, who added the distance trophy to her overall Crystal Globe.

“Oh my goodness, I am so thankful for the wax technicians,” said Diggins, who changed skis after lap three – one lap sooner than the rest of the leaders. “My second pair of skis were so good, they gave me a second life out there and I really needed it because it [the distance title] came down to two points.

“I’m not going to lie – I felt a lot of pressure today. But also just so happy to be able to end the season with a good race. My ultimate goal was just to keep fighting to the finish line. No matter what happens, just never give up and you’re going to be proud of yourself.

“There was some epic cheering out there so thank you to all the fans for all the love – I really needed it – and now I’m just so excited to go home and make some nachos with my husband.

Asked how she was going to celebrate on Sunday night, Diggins said: “I think I’m going to quote [German sprinter] Coletta [Rydzek] and say ‘we have plans’.”

Click here to see the final standings for the 2024/25 season.

Click here for the full results from Lahti.