OBERSTDORF, Germany (Reuters) – Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo led a clean sweep of the individual sprint medals for Norway at the FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships on Thursday, and Jonna Sundling of Sweden stormed to victory in the women’s race in unseasonably warm conditions.
Klaebo, who won gold in the individual sprint at the 2018 Olympics and the 2019 World Championships, put on a final spurt in the home straight to beat fellow Norwegians Erik Valnes and Haavard Solaas Taugboel in bright sunshine on a slushy course.
Klaebo and the Norwegian team skipped this year’s Tour de Ski to prepare for the World Championships.
“It has been a demanding year, where we have made choices that ensured we would have our best days here, so that we succeed means a lot and it tastes extra delicious,” Klaebo told Norwegian TV.
Sweden’s Sundling had no such problems in her final, putting on a dominant display of pace and power from the very start to beat Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla, with Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia taking the bronze medal.
Later on Thursday, Ema Klinec of Slovenia held her nerve in the final jump to take the gold medal in the women’s normal hill ski jumping event. Norway’s Maren Lundby edged out Sara Takanashi of Japan for the silver medal.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; editing by Ed Osmond)
