Cross-country skiing: Therese Johaug misses victory – lost lead at the end

Cross-country skiing: Therese Johaug misses victory – lost lead at the end

In an unexpected result during the 20-kilometer classic event with interval start in Davos, Therese Johaug held a commanding lead for a significant portion of the race. However, in the last time check, she was overtaken by her teammate Astrid Øyre Slind and Finnish veteran Kerttu Niskanen.

Øyre Slind achieved her first-ever World Cup victory, finishing ten seconds ahead of Niskanen and thirteen seconds ahead of Johaug.

"I felt great. It’s a bit surreal for me. I was extremely motivated towards the end. The first victory means so much to me," said today’s winner Astrid Øyre Slind.

Johaug, who had led the race for much of the time, described the finale as challenging: "It was hard, tough, and brutal. I really felt the lactic acid in the end."

In a dramatic moment, Johaug revealed that she actually vomited on her skis during the race. The best Swedish competitor was Moa Ilar, who finished in 18th place, with Sofia Henriksson coming in 23rd.