SkiO World Cup: Relay wins for Russia and Sweden

SkiO World Cup: Relay wins for Russia and Sweden

Russia’s women and Sweden’s men were winners of the final races of this World Cup round, the Relays. Both races were closely fought, with the outcome in doubt until the finish.

Russia led throughout in the women’s race, with Alena Trapeznikova providing the perfect start on the first leg. Magdalena Olsson (Sweden) picked up more than a minute on the Russian Polina Frolova on the second leg, and Tove Alexandersson went out 1.05 behind Mariya Kechkina on last leg. There was little difference at the intermediate timing point, but Alexandersson was much the stronger on the final part of the course and finished only 23 seconds down. Finland took third place, 5.14 down on the winning time.

The final leg was decisive in the men’s race, with the outstanding star of this round, Sweden’s Erik Rost, heading out 14 seconds down on Andrey Lamov, Russia but finishing 1.38 ahead. The big break came in the first part of the course, with Rost already 1.03 ahead by the intermediate timed control. Erik Blomgren came in fifth for Sweden at the first changeover, 2.21 down on the lead, and Ulrik Nordberg pulled the team up to third where at the changeover the two leading teams were well in sight. Eduard Khrennikov brought Russia up three places to lead the field at the end of the second leg.

Russia 2 and Sweden 2 took third and fourth places in the men’s race; Sweden 2 came through in second place at both changeovers. Lars Moholdt gained four places and more than 3½ minutes in bringing Norway through to being the third nation to finish, ahead of Finland.

For the German organisers the big snowfall came at just the right time. Their busy week is now successfully over and attention will soon turn to Austria, organiser of the final round which is also the European Championships, and together with the Junior World Championships and the European Youth Championships, starting at the end of February.

Leading results (provisional)

Women

1. Russia 1 (Alena Trapeznikova, Polina Frolova, Mariya Kechkina) 1:31:48
2. Sweden 1 (Evelina Wickbom, Magdalena Olsson, Tove Alexandersson) 1:32:11
3. Finland 1 (Mirka Suutari, Mira Kaskinen, Salla Koskela) 1:37:02

Men

1. Sweden 1 (Erik Blomgren, Ulrik Nordberg, Erik Rost) 1:51:15
2. Russia 1 (Stepan Malinovskii, Eduard Khrennikov, Andrey Lamov) 1:52:53
3. Norway 1 (Jørgen Madslien, Øyvind Watterdal, Lars Moholdt) 1:56:00