Klæbo Starts Strong – Wins Sprint Final

Klæbo with a strong start – won the sprint final

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was the lone representative for Norway in the men's sprint final during the opening of the Tour de Ski on Saturday afternoon. Erik Valnes fell short in the semifinals, putting all the pressure on Klæbo's performance.

The 28-year-old lived up to expectations, delivering a powerful start to the Tour de Ski with his sprint victory. No one was able to challenge the Norwegian star, who won ahead of France's Lucas Chanavat and Switzerland's Janik Riebli. Klæbo has now clinched all four sprint competitions in the World Cup this season.

The sprint win awarded Klæbo an additional 60 bonus seconds towards the overall standings, and the time from the qualification round also counts towards the overall ranking, where he was again the best.

On Sunday, the men's competition continues with a 15 km classic mass start in the Italian courses. The Tour de Ski will run until January 5.

The reigning champion of the Tour de Ski, Harald Østberg Amundsen, will face tough competition this year, especially from Klæbo, who missed last year's event due to illness.