Tour de ski: Johannes Klaebo wins the sprint in Toblach ahead of Lucas Chanavat

Johannes Klaebo managed to defeat Lucas Chanavat in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final event. This Saturday, he emerged as the winner of the first sprint event of the Tour de Ski held in Toblach, Italy. Klaebo, a 28-year-old favorite, secured his fourth sprint win of the season, followed closely by Frenchman Lucas Chanavat in second place. Swiss competitor Janik Riebli claimed third place.

Throughout the competition, Chanavat qualified for the final without much difficulty, finishing second in both his quarter-final and semi-final heats behind Klaebo. In comparison, his compatriot Richard Jouve faced a tougher road, barely qualifying for the quarter-finals and ultimately finishing fourth. This race also saw the current leader in the World Cup ranking, Norwegian Harald Amundsen, eliminated in the quarter-finals.

In women's competition, American Jessica Diggins emerged victorious, easily advancing past Finnish athlete Jasmi Joensuu to claim her second World Cup victory of the season. Joensuu's impressive performance earned her a second-place finish, marking her first-ever podium in the World Cup circuit, while Swiss skier Nadine Faehndrich completed the podium in third place.

Notably, French skiers Léonie Perry and Léna Quintin both reached the quarter-finals but did not progress further, concluding their runs in the heats. Perry finished fifth in her series while Quintin, after a fall, ended last in hers. Another significant elimination was Swedish skier Linn Svahn, a favorite for sprint rankings in the Tour, who had won the Toblach sprint event last year.

The second event in the Tour de Ski will take place on Sunday, featuring the 15 km classic. The women's race is scheduled for 12:30 while the men's will start at 14:45.