Ebba Andersson Wins Dramatic Skiathlon After Nail-Biting Finish

Ebba Andersson Wins Dramatic Skiathlon After Nail-Biting Finish
Uppdaterad idag 16:30
Publicerad idag 14:48

Ebba Andersson secured the World Championship gold in skiathlon over 20 km following an exhilarating bout with Therese Johaug. A photo finish was required to separate the two contenders.

– "It feels almost unreal, actually. It’s a dream scenario," Andersson told SVT Sport.

How did you experience the final stretch?
– Johaug took a challenging curve but maintained speed despite making it quite narrow. I found myself thinking, "Crap! Am I not going to make it to the finish line first?" I did my best to keep pushing all the way. It’s only when the official results came in that I realized I finished first, Andersson, who wasn’t confident about winning before the race, said.

There were chaotic scenes after the thrilling duel when Johaug made up centimeters heading into the final stretch but suddenly faltered in the challenge.

According to NRK, Andersson was ahead by just five centimeters when crossing the finish line.

– I couldn’t have done anything differently even though it’s disappointing to lose the gold at the finish line, Johaug commented.

Result Highlights:

Jonna Sundling, the sprint world champion, took bronze after battling against Frida Karlsson, who made a return to the competition and inserting herself into the medal contention.

Sundling's Fall Weighs on Gold Hopes
During the last lap, 3.3 km from the end, Sundling fell, which dashed her dreams of gold, taking Heidi Weng down with her in the fall.

Sundling expressed her frustration post-race.
– I just told myself "damn" over and over, Sundling said.

Sundling left the interview in tears.

What did you feel after the finish?
– I would have been upset too; I’m frustrated and annoyed that my skis slipped during the race, which was unexpected.

She was in a solid position let's be honest.
– I’m upset I couldn’t keep up with Ebba and Therese in the end but that's how it goes sometimes. I could have perhaps been in contention for gold, said Sundling, who felt she had plenty of energy left and left the interview in tears.