Harald Amundsen wins the skiathlon in Lillehammer, Hugo Lapalus in the top 10

World Cup: Harald Amundsen wins the skiathlon in Lillehammer, Hugo Lapalus in the top 10

Leader of the World Cup standings, Norwegian Harald Amundsen increased his lead by winning the skiathlon event at Lillehammer. The event consisted of 10 km of classical style followed by 10 km of freestyle, where Amundsen claimed victory in a sprint finish against his compatriots. He finished ahead of Jan Jenssen and Martin Nyenget, with Simen Kruger completing a Norwegian quad within the home event venue.

The group of seven skiers who contended for the win emerged after the last hill on the Lillehammer circuit. Johannes Klaebo was left behind after struggling to keep pace with Amundsen's impressive tempo. The French skier Hugo Lapalus also lost touch with the leading group but secured a commendable ninth position, marking his best performance of the season. This follows his previous tenth-place finish in Ruka's classical 10 km race.

Mathis Desloges continues his strong performance for his second season in the World Cup, finishing in twelfth place. He was notably ahead of well-known Finnish skier Iivo Niskanen, who won the opening event of the season in Ruka. Fellow French competitors Jules Lapierre and Théo Schely finished in 33rd and 34th, respectively, over two minutes behind Amundsen, while Rémi Bourdin came in at 47th.