Johaug wins Final Climb to claim fourth Tour de Ski title: 'It's amazing'

Therese Johaug (NOR) won the Women’s 10km Mass Start Free in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Sunday to secure her fourth overall Tour de Ski victory.

That places the Norwegian comeback queen on par with Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk as the women with most Tour titles.

”It’s amazing,” the 36-year-old said.

”Justyna has four and it’s cool to have the same as her. She is a legend and I’m so happy that I took the first place today too.”

After a successful run in Saturday’s Skiathlon, Johaug had taken over the lead in the overall standings for the first time of the Tour. She had a 22-second advantage down to her teammate Astrid Oeyre Slind in second place and was 1:47 ahead of defending champion Jessie Diggins (USA) in third place.

But that did not make Johaug want to sit back and relax in the exhausting last stage of Tour de Ski, the Final Climb, where skiers have climb up an Alpine ski slope. Coming into the start of the steep uphill section of Alpe Cermis, the 36-year-old Norwegian had positioned herself in first position, with no plans on letting anyone else set the pace.

Followed by Heidi Weng (NOR) and Ebba Andersson (SWE), she set off at full speed up the hill that she had mastered so many times before.

The difference this time is that it has been five years since Johaug last went up Alpe Cermis, and since winning the Final Climb to claim her third Tour title in January 2020, she had taken a two-year break from the sport to become a mother.

But that did not show on Johaug, who had been training up an Alpine hill back home in Trondheim, Norway, where the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships start next month.

"It was fantastic. I love this last climb so I can’t wait for the last leg of Tour de Ski," she said.

At a 28% steep section five minutes into the climb, Johaug switched gears and stormed off, leaving the skiers behind her to fight for place two and three.

Slind joined Andersson and Weng to lead the chase but Johaug was untouchable, finishing the climb with a gap of more than a minute down to the rest.

The overall Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup runner-up could relax in the last 500m of the race. She grabbed a Norwegian flag to celebrate her achievement as she crossed the finish line 25.5 seconds before runner-up Slind as Weng completed the all-Norwegian podium, 28 seconds behind the winner.

”It was amazing. It was like the other times I’ve gone up this hill,” said Johaug, who came back from retirement a couple of months ago.

Focusing on the World Championships, Johaug said she had only decided to take part in the Tour just before Christmas. A few weeks later, she had added another title to her triumphs in 2013-2014, 2016 and 2019-2020.

"It's feels really good. Four times winning here is fantastic," said Johaug, who shared the overall podium with Slind and Diggins.

”I felt that I needed competitions because when you’ve been out for two years you feel that you’ve missed pushing yourself. I push myself when I’m here and when I’m racing with other girls."

With 114 points in the Climber standings, Johaug also made history as she became the first winner of the Tour-debuting Best Climber competition. Slind claimed the second place on 66 points as Kerttu Niskanen completed the podium on 46.

Johaug said her daughter Kristin, who will turn two years old in May, had been a big support in the seven stages over nine days in Italian Toblach and Val di Fiemme.

”It’s amazing to have her and my husband here,” she said.

”They have joined me all the tour and it has been easier for me to be here and race when I’ve known that they are here so I’m really happy for that.”

The Norwegian superstar said she will now take a break. The next World Cup she knows she will compete in is in Sweden on 14-16 February.

"I know I will be home for a while and I know that I will go the World Cup in Falun, so it’s a long time," Johaug said, looking forward to a competition-free day on Monday.

"I will sleep in for long, take a coffee in my bed and not be nervous. I’m really looking forward to that."

Slind closed a successful campaign in the Italian tracks by winning the battle for the second place behind Johaug. The 36-year-old, who has claimed all of her three World Cup victories in the past month, secured the second place in the overall Tour standings with a strong finish.

"It was actually really fun. I had a nice pace so I didn’t really hurt that much today. I could gradually get into the race," said Slind, who beat Weng by 2.5 seconds.

"I guess I just gave up Therese pretty early and concentrated on the second lace and I’m really happy with doing that."

Weng had beaten her teammate Nora Sanness (NOR) by 3.1 seconds to clinch the third place.

"It was hard today," said Weng, who finished fifth in the overall Tour standings.

"I feel like now we have finished and that’s good for me, I am very tired. Finally it’s finito (over)."

Switzerland’s Nadine Faehndrich won the Sprint standings on 80 points, beating Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) in second place on 62 as Diggins clinched the third place on 51.

In the men’s competition earlier on Sunday, Johaug's compatriot Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo had won his fourth title to equal the record held by Dario Cologna (SUI), making them four in the exclusive club of four Tour de Ski triumphs.

Click here for full results from the Women’s 10km Mass Start Free and here for the Tour de Ski standings.

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