Euphoric Amundsen Loses Voice After Sprint Triumph

Euphoric Amundsen: Lost his voice after sprint triumph

Harald Østberg Amundsen (26) was ecstatic after narrowly winning the sprint at the 20 kilometer skiathlon during the World Cup in Lillehammer. The finish saw four Norwegian racers sprint for victory, with Amundsen edging out Jan Thomas Jenssen in a photo finish, and only eight hundredths of a second separating the top four competitors.

As Amundsen reached the media zone, he had spoken so much in a short time that his voice was nearly gone. His nervous coach Eirik Myhr Nossum stood by him during the interview, which stretched for over a minute before Amundsen needed to retreat to warm up.

"I didn’t know who crossed the finish line first, but I had a good feeling. The stadium fell silent, and it seemed nobody knew who had won. Oh! This feels indescribably wonderful," said Amundsen, his voice barely audible and strained.

Amundsen was also taken aback by the fast pace set by Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget from the outset, but he felt strong throughout, particularly during the skating phase. "I had not planned to speed up in the last hill; it turned out to be wild and a great finish," said last year’s World Cup winner following his remarkable success.

The Finishers

The rankings for the top three mirrored those from the previous week's event. Jenssen, delighted with his performance, expressed that this race had been his primary goal since setting his sights on participating in the World Cup.

The race also featured a seventh-place finish from Andreas Fjorden Ree and eighth from Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who felt the effects of a recent illness but contributed strongly to the race until the final sprint. Klæbo admitted he needed to enhance his stamina for longer races, noting, "I’m not worried; it’s all about the journey to improve for the next time."