Slind and Johaug Crush the Field: "It Can't Get Better Than This"

On January 1, 2025, Therese Johaug and Astrid Øyre Slind lauded each other's performance after a triumphant day for Norway in the Tour de Ski at Toblach, Italy.

Astrid Øyre Slind secured victory in Wednesday's 15 kilometer race, taking over the lead in the Tour standings. Johaug advanced to second place, now just six seconds behind her teammate, while Kerttu Niskanen remains in third, 28 seconds off the pace.

After crossing the finish line, the two Norwegian athletes embraced each other, celebrating their outstanding teamwork. "I believe we executed this perfectly. We talked about how running together benefits both of us. We created a gap, and that's fantastic," Slind said.

Johaug expressed her satisfaction with their collaboration, stating, "The teamwork today couldn't have been better. We won this race together, and it was a fantastic collaboration with Astrid. We took significant seconds from Niskanen in the end. This was really fun!"

Slind had previously delivered a strong performance in the 20-kilometer race on New Year's Eve, which set the stage for her to start alone in the lead on the first day of the year. Behind her, Johaug fast tracked their teamwork to close the distance between them and Jessica Diggins, who started 30 seconds behind in the overall standings.

However, Diggins ran alone during parts of the race and lost crucial time due to the effective collaboration of the Norwegian duo. Ultimately, she finished sixth, over two minutes behind the winner.

Johaug remarked, "It's unfortunate for her to lose this much, but it's great for us. We must admit that. Having such large distances means so much for the overall standings."

The Tour de Ski continues with a sprint on Friday, where Diggins is usually stronger than her Norwegian counterparts.