What is unusual is that the world elite in cross-country skiing skied exactly the sprint route that now awaits them at the Olympic Games – just a month ago, during the Tour de Ski. The insights gained from this shape the way competitors now think about tactics.
– It’s a track where you have to be both fast and strong, but I think you can have 80 percent speed and 20 percent power and do just as well as the other way around. “I think there are more opportunities to win on the track,” said Maja Dahlqvist, who has to defend a sprint silver medal from the Beijing Olympics.
The gold in China went to Jonna Sundling, who also won the last three World Cup races over the distance. The 31-year-old skipped the tour but liked what she saw on TV. There was unrest on the former sprint track in Val di Fiemme, which gave great advantages to the riders who finished behind the leader – they often slipped in and out of the race. The slipstream effect is no longer so clearly visible, which can benefit the Swede, who likes to be first.
– I cannot influence what a course looks like, whether short or long. I think that all courses suit me. But they wanted to change it so that the material wasn’t so crucial at the end, and it feels like they were careful not to pick up a small gap straight away.
The big star On the men’s side, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo – even more dominant than Sundling in sprinting with six consecutive gold medals – tested different tactics during the Tour’s elimination heats. In the final, he gained a clear lead on the long steep slope before the descent before the race, showing that it is possible to keep the competition behind you.
– I think everything is saved for the last hill. It’s important to get involved and be prepared for the fact that it will hurt. But when you’re at the top there are all possibilities, and as easily as Johannes made it on the general rope… now we’ll try to give him a tougher fight, says Edvin Anger.
The fact that the course is longer than many others in the World Cup, with ride times of up to four minutes for the women (compared to three normally), means that smart energy management needs to be considered, according to Jonna Sundling. She also believes this will open up different types of skaters than just the most explosive. She says everyone will exploit their best qualities.
Alvar Myhlback has such a cutting edge: a very powerful use. The long-distance specialist came third in the Trondheim sprint at the beginning of the winter, without competing. On the tour he was unlucky enough to break the bar right at the start of the quarterfinals.
– I haven’t really had the opportunity, but there are a lot of stake parties. Unfortunately, driving diagonally is perhaps the most important part, so I have to practice that and then press hard on the post parts.
Two Swedish skaters reached the podium in the Tour Gen Rope, with both Anton Grahn and Johanna Hagström finishing third. Grahn says he goes into the competition with a lot of confidence and a lot of tactical considerations.
– It seems to me that there are two options for me. Either I’m first at the beginning and can take the inside corner. The other option, like on the tour, is to lie down at the back and wait for the climb.
Hagström says so As soon as she finished, she started thinking about what she could have done better.
– A key is the last climb and I am strong there. But it is necessary to overcome the final ridge, and I didn’t do that very well. I can do this much better and bring better speed towards sprint.
