Nordic SkiingCross country skiing
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Clear victory for Stina Nilsson in the free technique sprint Val Mustair, opening stage of the Tour de Ski. Already a leader in qualification, the Swedish maintained its superiority in the afternoon, adjusting with relative ease in the final Maiken Caspersen Falla and Heidi Weng.
Saturday 31 December 2016 4 minutes reading time
Nilsson has adopted a single strategy in each round, taking the lead right from the start not to transfer it to the finish. Nell''ultimo act, forcing her produced a sharp selection already at the halfway point, with the only Falla, already regulated with authority in the semifinals, able to keep up.
In the last downhill, the gap between the two leaders has expanded decisively, and 23 year-old native of Malung took the second victory of the season, after the one in the sprint classic Ruka.
Heavy, in key general classification of the Tour de Ski, the third place of Weng. The main candidate for the ultimate success was now called, on paper, to limit the damage with respect to the number one rival, ingvild flugstad østberg. The two found themselves together in the semifinals: Kathrine Rolsted Harsem won against odds battery, and Weng has mocked in the final his direct adversary, condemning her to a surprising elimination, before you even earn the podium a few minutes later.
Cede something even the most quoted athlete for the role of third wheel, Krista Pärmäkoski, eliminated along with Østberg in the same battery.
After the efforts of the semifinal, Harsem finished the final in fourth place, his best result ever in the World Cup, ahead of a cent Laurien Van der Graaff, excellent fifth in front of the home crowd. Sixth place for Jessica Diggins.
Good performance of the two Italian revenue among the best 30. Ilaria Debertolis, engaged in the first quarter-final, struggled up to a few meters to go to the next round, before bending to Falla, Hanna Kolb and Kikkan Randall.
Gaia Vuerich, in its third quarter, was instead qualified to the semifinals with the second time to repechage, stopping then launched a battery of frenzied pace by Nilsson.
The new overall World Cup sees Weng climb at such altitude 697 points and stretch slightly on Østberg, now at 653. Pärmäkoski remains third with 479, while the absent Bjørgen remains at 423. With 50 points of victory, Nilsson moves 394.
Sweden leads the Tour de Ski standings with 10.7 seconds over Falla and 16.6 of Weng. The latter, in the challenge to the general, can handle 4.7 seconds on Østberg. 11th and 17th, respectively, and Vuerich Debertolis.
SPRINT TL FEMALE VAL MUSTAIR - FINAL
1. Stina Nilsson (SWE) 3: 26.7
2. Maiken Caspersen FALLA (NOR) +2.48
3. Heidi WENG (NOR) +6.47
4. Kathrine Rolsted HARSEM (NOR) +6.95
5. Laurien VAN DER GRAAFF (SUI) +6.96
6. Jessica Diggins (USA) +7.64
#FISCROSSCOUNTRY FISCROSSCOUNTRY #SCIDIFONDO
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Sprint Female Val Mustair (SUI)
Cross country skiing
Nilsson and Ustiugov print the best times in qualifying Val Mustair
Saturday 31 December 2016
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