Skiathlon Will Be Held Without Hennig

Skiathlon Will Be Held Without Hennig

At the World Championship race over 20 km, only one of the two Olympic champions is participating in Trondheim. Hennig is focusing on the 10 km event on Tuesday.

Katharina Hennig is missing from the Skiathlon on Sunday
© IMAGO/Bildbyran

Olympic champion Katharina Hennig will not participate in the Nordic World Championships in Trondheim for the Skiathlon on Sunday and will run her first race at the championships in Norway only on Tuesday over 10 km. This was announced by DSV head coach Peter Schlickenrieder.

"The Skiathlon is going to be a tough competition. So we have to consider how much we can ask of our best athletes regarding the team events," said Schlickenrieder on Saturday. "Katha is not strong enough in skating style to have a chance for the podium. However, in the classic 10 km, she always has a chance to place at the front, even if she is not at her best shape. That's why the focus is clearly on the 10 km and the team competitions."

The 28-year-old Hennig was fifth in the Olympic 10 km in Beijing in 2022, which was also run in classic style - this race is alternately held in classic and free styles at major events. In this season, she has struggled with health problems and missed the Tour de Ski, so she must manage her strength with an eye on possibly competing in the relay on Friday and possibly in the classic team sprint on Wednesday. In the team sprint, Hennig won Olympic gold in 2022 alongside Victoria Carl, also in classic style.

Carl leads the German team into the Skiathlon over 10 km each in classical and free style on Sunday (2:00 PM/ZDF and Eurosport). "We have a strong team starting, but Vici is surely our trump card," said Schlickenrieder. Besides Carl (Zella-Mehlis), Pia Fink (Bremelau), Helen Hoffmann (Oberhof), and Katherine Sauerbrey (Steinbach-Hallenberg) will also participate.