Oberstdorf 2021: Baiba Bendika and Mark Chanloung sign the best times in qualifying

The Oberstdorf World Championship opens for cross-country skiing, with the male and female qualifications. Both races were held in skating: in the 5 km female best time for the Latvian Bendika, in the 10 km male the Thai Chaloung finished ahead of everyone. The final stages of tomorrow's sprints will be held in the morning, due to the high temperatures in the afternoon.

Wednesday 24 February 2021 3 minutes reading time

With the cross-country skiing qualifications, the 53rd Nordic World Ski Championships have officially begun. This morning on the "hot" snows of Oberstdorf (temperature above 10 °) the qualifying tests were held, valid for access to the races that will be staged in the next two weeks. In the women's qualification (5 km skating) best time for Baiba Bendika. The twenty-nine year old Latvian, a good level biathlete who finished in 9th place the world championship mass start in Pokljuka, but who has never competed in the World Cup in cross-country skiing, preceded the Thai Karen Chanloung, from Valle d'Aosta d ' 'adoption (the father has worked for many as a physiotherapist in this region), and for 1'05 "the Armenian Katya Galstyan. Among the men, however, Karen Chaloung's brother, Mark, born in '95, excelled, who finished ahead of the young New Zealander Campbell Wright (class' '02), 29 seconds behind the Thai transplanted to the Valley of '' Aosta. Third time for the Dane Martin Moeller, at ''53 "from Chaloung, who suffered a lot from the high temperatures of the" Cross Country Stadium Ried "in Oberstodrf, so much so that he competed without the sleeves and the lower part of his suit. Tomorrow we start to get serious with the first races that award medals: it will be the turn of the sprint, male and female, in classic. For Italy it is a great opportunity for a medal, with our "Chicco" Pellegrino (who officially won his second sprint cup yesterday) ready to make us dream. Due to the high temperatures expected in the afternoon tomorrow, which could be close to 20 °, the FIS and the organizers have opted to anticipate the races in the morning, with the qualifiers starting at 9 am, followed by the final stages starting at 11: 30.