"A Machine": Former Biathlete Amazes at Vasaloppet

"Machine": Former Biathlete Amazes

An 18-year-old has sensationally won the 101st edition of the renowned ski marathon in Sweden. In the women's competition, a former biathlete captivated the audience with a stellar performance.

Stina Nilsson impressed at the Vasaloppet

© IMAGO/TT

Eighteen-year-old Alvar Myhlback has made history as the youngest cross-country skier to win the legendary Vasaloppet. He claimed victory in the 101st edition of this traditional ski marathon in Sweden with a time of 3:28:45 hours, narrowly missing the course record by just 27 seconds.

"This is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life," Myhlback said during an interview.

Myhlback surpassed the previous youngest winner, Ernst Alm, who won the inaugural Vasaloppet in 1922 at the age of 22.

After 90 kilometers, Myhlback sprinted ahead of his fellow Swedes Emil Persson and Max Novak, showcasing his strength in the classic technique from Sälen to Mora. Over the past eleven years, Norway had dominated the event, claiming the title ten times.

Nilsson Dazzles in Women's Race

In the women's category, Sweden also claimed the crown. Stina Nilsson, the sprint Olympic champion of 2018, won with a significant lead.

Nilsson previously enjoyed considerable success as a cross-country skier before making a surprising switch to biathlon for the 2020/2021 season. However, she struggled with noteworthy performance in biathlon, prompting her to return to her roots.

Four years after the switch, she decided to focus on the Ski Classics Tour, and it paid off handsomely. After earlier podium finishes, she dominated the Vasaloppet, taking control early in the race. Within the first 11 kilometers, a gap opened between her and her remaining competitors, which she rapidly extended.

Experts Praise Nilsson's Performance

"There's no cross-country skier who can catch up with Stina Nilsson; it’s incredibly impressive," enthused Swedish reporter Jacob Hard on SVT.

At the halfway mark, Nilsson's lead over the competition was already three minutes, thrilling former cross-country skier Anders Blomquist: "She’s a machine. An efficient, fast, technical, relentless machine that just keeps going."

As the race drew closer to its end, nine kilometers from the finish, her lead had ballooned to over six minutes. Although she eased back slightly in the final kilometers, she still finished with a notable margin of just over five minutes, crossing the finish line in 3:54:00 hours, securing 105th place overall.

"It was absolutely amazing. There were many beautiful kilometers, but the last ones were really tough. My arms were so tired. I've never been this tired in my life," Nilsson reflected during her interview at NRK.

Notable Names at the Vasaloppet

The event attracted a total of 15,800 participants, including 288 from Germany, with several celebrities present, such as former footballer Johan Elmander, astronaut Marcus Wandt, and Swedish 'Let’s Dance' champion Filip Lamprecht.

with Sport-Information-Service (SID)