Cross-Country Skiing: Gimmler Celebrates First Podium in Sprint

In the classic sprint on Saturday, February 1, 2025, Laura Gimmler made history by securing her first individual World Cup podium finish. She finished just 1.25 seconds behind the leader to take third place after Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist, with Switzerland’s Nadine Fähndrich coming in second at a +0.94 second gap behind Dahlqvist.

Coletta Rydzek, who had previously finished second in Lahti, reached the final once again but was unable to challenge for a medal, ultimately finishing sixth with a +16.93 second deficit. The German DSV team had already shown potential in the team sprint the previous day, and both Gimmler and Rydzek are viewed as strong medal contenders for the upcoming World Championships. However, they will skip the 10 km freestyle race on Sunday in Cogne as part of their load management strategy.

Gimmler’s journey to the podium was marked by tactical brilliance. In the quarterfinals, she surged ahead in the sprint finish—outpacing top competitor Jessie Diggins of the USA—to secure a place in the semifinals. She continued to excel by leveraging an advantage on the inner lane to progress to the final, where despite a slight loss of pace, she managed to maintain her position on the podium, much to the delight of her supporters. Bundestrainer Peter Schlickenrieder hailed her performance as a strong statement of intent, highlighting her optimal tactics and potential for further improvement.

On the men’s side, in the absence of dominant Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway, Erik Valnes emerged victorious, leading a Norwegian sweep with Edvin Anger and Even Northug finishing closely behind, marking Valnes’ sixth World Cup win of his career. Meanwhile, among the German men, only Jan Stölben advanced to the quarterfinals before succumbing to the fierce international competition, and top German skier Friedrich Moch—currently leading the overall World Cup standings—chose to withdraw from further races in Cogne to focus on his World Championship preparation.

The race at Cogne thus provided an exciting glimpse into the competitive landscape ahead of the World Championships, with strong performances from both international and German athletes setting the stage for the upcoming season.