Sundling back with a bang as Sweden's sprinters make clean sweep

In her first COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup start this season, Jonna Sundling won the women's sprint free in Livigno, Italy, on Saturday as Sweden claimed the three top spots.

The 28-year-old Olympic sprint champion, whose last World Cup competition was in March last year, led the final from start to finish, winning 1.05 seconds before teammate Maja Dahlqvist. Sweden's Emma Ribom completed the clean sweep, 1.30 after the winner.

It was the first time that a World Cup competition was held in the Italian Alp ski resort at 1,800m altitude, with a chilling -9 degrees in the air for the final.

"(It was) a little bit challenging, but now in the final I felt that I could push all the way in," said Sundling, who had been kept out of competition due to an illness.

"Now I stand here (as a winner) so I'm really satisfied."

Nadine Faehndrich from Switzerland finished fourth, before another comeback Swede, Linn Svahn, who made her return to the World Cup after her shoulder surgery in 2021. USA's Julia Kern finished sixth.

In the absence of this season's overall No.1, Norway's Tiril Udnes Weng, Faehndrich's fourth-place places her in the top of the World Cup sprint standings.

In the men's sprint free final, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo showed he could perform in Livigno too, claiming his 11th World Cup victory this season.

The final was however no smooth sail for the Norwegian 26-year-old who won his third overall Tour de Ski two weeks ago.

First he had to respond ot an early attack from Switzerland's Valerio Grond. Then France's Richard Jouve turned up, giving the Norwegian another challenge to deal with into the last centimetres of the race.

After sprinting it out shoulder to shoulder in the last stretch, Klaebo won 0.35 seconds before Jouve as Switzerland's Janik Riebli finished third.

"It's really tough – on the last turn you look up, it's like 550 metres to the finish line and you get destroyed by that look," Klaebo said.

"But still, it was a lot of fun racing there, I had a great fight against Jouve and I am really satisfied that I managed to win today."

The five-time Olympic gold medallist was impressed by the new World Cup venue.

"It's amazing what they've managed to create here in Livigno," Klaebo said.

"I know that the plan was originally to be in Milano, but one month ago we learned that this was the plan and what they've managed to create here is just unbelievable. It was a lot of fun racing here, with quite a different finish than we normally do."

Riebli had more than a second's margin down to overall-ranked No.2 Paal Golberg who came fourth, and celebrated his first World Cup podium spot with two fists in the air as he crossed the finish line.

"I think it was my day," the Swiss 24-year-old said.

"I didn't have the best feeling in the warm-up and not the best feeling in the morning, I also didn't have the best feeling in the heats, but in the last 300m of the final I had a really good feeling.

"Every metre was a good feeling because I felt a lot of energy. I thought 'now I'm third, now I have to push until the finish line'. It was amazing, amazing, crazy."

Competing at a new World Cup venue had added a layer of excitement to Saturday's competition, Riebli said.

"I think everyone was a little bit nervous because we had no videos on Youtube that we could look at, the final stretch was really long and the altitude was also something difficult. But it was a race and the fastest man wins, it's simple."

The World Cup action in Livigno this weekend continues with the men's and women's team sprints on Sunday.

Click here for detailed results from the women's sprint final, and here for detailed results from the men's sprint final.