In Tears After Marcialonga Victory: - Knew I Would Never Get This Chance Again

NRK’s Skiklubben program leader Gukild and former Olympic champion Olaf Tufte stirred up excitement on social media leading up to the Marcialonga race by challenging each other. Gukild set what he called a 'cool goal': to compete against the former rower in the rigorous 70-kilometer skiing event. The race and duel lived up to expectations.

‘Hollywood movies will be made about this,‘ Gukild said, exhausted, after crossing the finish line.
‘We could not have scripted this race better. It was a lot of fun,‘ Tufte added.

The competition turned intense on the course. Tufte managed to build a lead but paused to wait for his rival at a drink station, which they jokingly referred to as ‘a tactical Northug-style move.’

It might not have been the best decision.

‘We raced down to the center of Moena, where Olaf slips and falls, and I fall over him, breaking his pole,‘ Gukild described.

The 33-year-old recounted the dramatic scene amid hundreds of spectators in the small town.

‘I leapt over Olaf and asked, “Are you okay, Olaf?” He yelled back, “No!” At that moment, I saw one of his poles had broken.’

Tip us if you have a video of the crash!

Both athletes shared the stage in an interview post-race. Gukild recounted how he began yelling for poles from spectators as Tufte swiftly fell behind him with damaged equipment.

‘I kept skiing and yelled out to everyone with poles, “Olympic champion coming, needing a pole,”‘ he said.

Tufte went several kilometers with a broken pole until he finally received a replacement.

Olaf Tufte said after the fall, he raced as fast as he could with the new pole.

‘The next ten kilometers, I felt like I could beat Northug on a 10-kilometer race,‘ Tufte stated regarding his strong comeback.

Gukild added, ‘He caught up with me, almost out of breath, and started giving me technical advice while he was at it. It was a joy to see him as a true role model.

As they neared the end with only ten kilometers left to go, Tufte emerged as the stronger of the two, pulling ahead in the final climb.

‘I was a little worried about him going over the edge, so I sped up,‘ Tufte laughed.

Gukild then praised Tufte, ‘He was a gentleman and waited for me at the finish line. He is a great athlete but an even greater person. So this meant a lot, Olaf. Thank you so much.’

Tufte finished 242nd, 53 minutes and three seconds behind winner Andreas Nygaard in the 70-kilometer race.

Gukild finished just 23 seconds slower than Tufte, both crossing the finish line together.

Tearful Champion

Andreas Nygaard, 34, claimed victory in the Marcialonga ski race, finishing strong against Max Novak in the final sprint.

A visibly emotional Nygaard celebrated his first victory in the classic long-distance race, a title he lacked despite having numerous other wins in Ski Classics.

‘I was so tired, and Max and Amund were so strong. I knew I might never get this chance again. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t give everything until the finish,‘ he told NRK after the race.

Nygaard’s success now puts him in history as the most decorated in the Ski Classics with 20 titles overall.

However, the victory stirred tears from Nygaard, a testament to his journey.

‘I’ve been at this for ten years, taking hundreds of second, third, fourth, fifth places, sixth, seventh, eighth, nine. Except last year. It feels incredible to show at home that even though the last climb was tough, I could sneak across the finish line first,‘ Nygaard expressed.

‘Did those tears come spontaneously?’

**‘Yes, this victory means everything to me. I’ve jumped into this purely and am not studying or working. I have a great fiancée at home supporting me as I travel and pursue this. This is the most important thing to me now. It’s worth it on days like this.’

Fleten Wins Again

In the women’s category, Emilie Fleten also triumphed, taking the Marcialonga title for the second year in a row.

‘It has been a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. I think I hooked with Silje Øyre Slind at the first sprint. I buried my head in the snow,‘ she told NRK after the race.

‘Is it even possible to win after two falls?’

‘It’s incredible how lucky I am when I fall that I don’t break anything. A bit of luck is necessary,‘ she said.

‘You win your second straight Marcialonga. What does it mean for you?’

‘It means a lot. It means extra today because my head and body returned like I was last year when I could push as hard as I can. It’s a mental relief.’