Sundling Celebrates Gold – Rydzek Misses Final by a Narrow Margin

At the Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, over 10,000 spectators witnessed the opening medal contest in the cross-country skiing sprint for women. Title defender and Olympic champion Jonna Sundling dominated the race, outpacing the field from the outset. Competing under the watchful eyes of Norway’s King and the royal family, Sundling edged out Norway’s Kristine Skistad to secure her third consecutive sprint title. The event concluded with Sundling finishing first, followed by Skistad, while Swiss Nadine Fähndrich claimed the bronze medal with a margin of +2.18 seconds.

The German team entered the competition at a disadvantage due to a bout of fever among the majority of the sprint squad. Coach Peter Schlickenrieder explained that nearly the entire team was affected. In the qualification round, Coletta Rydzek, despite her health issues, emerged as the fastest German, finishing with a 9.02-second deficit behind Sundling to rank ninth overall. In the quarterfinals – a round contested over five heats of six athletes – several German contenders were eliminated. Rydzek managed to secure her place in the semifinals after a photo finish against Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng, though she later stated in a post-race interview that she had given her all but was unable to advance to the final.

In the final, the field of six saw Sundling set a relentless pace from the start. Although both Kristine Skistad and Lotta Udnes Weng maintained contact with the leader, Sundling ultimately won the race by 2.13 seconds. Rydzek’s impressive effort, finishing eighth overall – the best world championship result of her career – was not enough to secure a place in the medaling positions.