JWSC Oberwiesenthal U23 Sprint F results

It was a great fight for the top spots of Emma Ribom (SWE) and her teammate and prologue winner Johanna Hagstroem (SWE) in the sprint final of the U-23 World Championships. Third place went to Julia Kern from the US ski team. In the men's category, Vebjoern Hegdal (NOR) won ahead of the Italian Mattia Armellini and Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR).

It is the first international title of her career for the 22-year-old Ribom. "First I have to have that set. I can't believe it yet. I felt stronger with every heat today and finally, a dream came true for me, ”says the winner after the sprint race. In the last few weeks in the World Cup she has been 9th in the overall rating of the Ski Tour 2020.

The runner-up, Johanna Hagstroem (SWE) became the favorite in the sprint finals. Already in the prologue she kept her top form with the best time. After a third place with the team at the Junior World Champs 2018 in Goms (SUI), the Swede was rewarded with an individual medal for the first time. “This is a very emotional moment for me and I have to collect myself first. I did not expect it and I am very satisfied ”, she concluded her interview.

The American with German roots, Julia Kern (USA) is third in the sprint: “My parents are from here, I have had a lot of Christmas evenings here with my family. I also feel at home in Germany and i love it when the weather is a bit crazy so it was a great day racing for me today".

The men's final was turbulent one with some falls. Unfortunately, local hero Richard Leupold (GER) also suffered from a fall and missed his chance for a medal. Only a few meters before the final stretch, also Alexander Terentev from Russia suffered a fall and left the spaces open for the final top-3.

Vebjoern Hegdal (NOR) confidently mastered the win of his title. In the wild hustle and bustle of Oberwiesenthal, he saved his strength for the final. “It was a very tough race with so many different weather conditions and it was not easy to stay strong. In the end I succeeded and I control myself a lot, ”summarizes Hegdal.

The Italian Mattia Armellini mainly took part in Alpencups. As the "lucky looser", Mattia just about made it to the finals. He appreciated how he benefited: “In the uphill passage two fell before me and I was lucky and war in the same position. Then there was another fall and I became the victim of second place. Luck, of course, played well in the cards, but that's part of the game."

The Norwegian Harald Oestberg Amundsen also played the game right: “The prologue was really not easy, but the semifinals were much better. In the final there were some falls and then Terentev also fell before me and I finished third. For a sprint, that's really fantastic for me. I'm actually a distance runner and a podium in the sprint to one is a satisfaction for me. "

Prologue winner Jules Chappaz (FRA) missed the move in another round due to a wrong start and was disqualified.

More than 1500 people came to the Sparkassen ski arena today to cheer on the athletes and those of the U23 cross-country ski trails. The competitions continue on Monday, March 2nd from 10 a.m.

Click here to listen to all interviews from the top 3 men and women.