Success for Slind as veteran ends 2024 with first Freestyle win

Astrid Oyre Slind (NOR) won her first Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup race in Davos, Switzerland, on 15 December when she finished first in the Women's 20km Interval Start Classic.

On New Year's Eve, the 36-year-old showed that she could do it in Freestyle too as she clinched the victory in the Women's 20km Interval Start Free in Toblach, Italy, ending her best year on the World Cup circuit in the best possible way.

"It feels amazing. Finally I can prove that I can do it in skate as well, so I'm really happy," Slind said.

Just like in Davos, she shared the podium with two other 36-year-olds; Norway's runner-up Therese Johaug and Kerttu Niskanen of Finland in third place.

Slind however did not have the quickest start to the third stage of the Tour de Ski and at the 10.6km mark, she was in fourth place, 16.3 seconds slower than the leader Johaug, who had Niskanen right after her.

When Johaug crossed the finish line, it looked like she had claimed her third World Cup victory this year, making a statement that the battle for the overall Tour de Ski title is far from decided.

Johaug was 17 seconds faster than the Finnish veteran Niskanen, who once again had to leave the leader's chair without that elusive first Freestyle victory.

Then came Slind. In the second half of the race, she had found a group of skiers to share a bit of the burden with, pulling herself back into the competition.

Sticking with Sweden's Moa Ilar and Katherine Stewart-Jones of Canada, Slind was however still 9.1 seconds behind Johaug after 15.6km but made a strong push in the last kilometres of the race. 

As Slind came into the home straight, Barbora Havlickova (CZE), Alayna Sonnesyn (USA) and Linn Svahn (SWE) had joined the group, carrying Slind to a 3.3-second win over Johaug.

"It is one of the most fun races I've ever done," Slind said.

"We were ski racing together from the top (of the hill marking half of the race) and in (to the stadium) and it was a really good collaboration between Canada, Sweden and Norway so that was fun."

Races of 20km in one loop are not very common in the World Cup racing but Slind said her background in long distance Ski Classic races could have given her an advantage.

"That's kind of similar, you don't really get any rest so you just have to find your pace and work together as we did in the last part here. That really means a lot," Slind said.

The second World Cup win of her career and the first one in Freestyle, on New Year's Eve, finishing off a strong year on the Cross-Country circuit. Surely that must call for a celebration, even with the 15km Pursuit Classic on New Year's Day? 

"A tiny little bit," Slind said.

"But I guess I've got a tough race tomorrow as well so I need to recharge for that."

Niskanen said she felt "really good" with her performance.

"I’m really happy," she said.

"I like this long uphill. I could use my Wassberg technique (fast skating style where skiers push for every leg) so it was really nice to go up there and of course, all the time alone, so I tried to keep a good speed also in the downhill."

The hard work with Slind was not in vain for Stewart-Jones, who was one of the race's big winners. The 29-year-old Canmore skier shared the fourth place with Germany's Victoria Carl, 27.8 seconds behind the winner, marking the best World Cup result of her career.

Her previously best individual World Cup finish had been a 10th-place in the 15km Mass Start Classic in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in the Tour de Ski two seasons ago.

Ilar also benefitted from the collaboration, going from a 17th position after 10.6km to finish in eighth place.

The Tour's overall leader Jessie Diggins, who looked unbeatable in the two first stages, had a tougher race on Tuesday, trying to gain some help from teammate Julia Kern who pulled her through parts of the course.

Finishing in sixth place, 36.3 seconds behind Slind, Diggins holds onto the first place in the overall standings with four events left to ski.

The margin has however tightened as Niskanen in second place went from 38 seconds to 22 seconds behind the leader. Slind, in third place, had been one minute and nine seconds behind the defending champion before Tuesday's race and cut it down to a 32-second deficit.

Johaug's strong performance brought her closer to the overall podium. This season's comeback queen of Cross-Country is in fourth place, 41 seconds behind Diggins and in a good position to battle for a fourth Tour de Ski title this week.

"It was really good, I’m so satisfied with the race," Johaug said.

"I feel like I’m having a good technique and my shape is getting better and better. I’m so happy with my shape, with my race today and my body."

Johaug, one of the first to congratulate Slind after the race, enjoyed competing on the unique track.

"It was fun, it was different, it is not like the tracks we go on at the World Cup but I feel that my body is really good," Johaug said.

"It’s not the best part of the track, from the top to the finish line, but I feel that I am doing a great job."

On 44 points, Johaug is also in the lead in the Climber standings, before Niskanen on 32 and Slind on 27. Finland's Jasmi Joensuu tops the sprint standings on 42 points, with Diggins on 41 chasing after her, Switzerland's Nadine Faehndrich on 35 holding the third place.

The Tour de Ski continues on Wednesday with the men's and women's 15km Pursuit Classic, where skiers will head out of the starting gate based on Tuesday's times.

Click here for full results from Toblach.

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