Fischer Sets Tone In Nordic Racing
With an impressive mountainous backdrop, brilliant sunshine, and an exciting competition over 50K the Nordic World Ski Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Planica, Slovenia. Just as impressive was the medal haul of the Fischer Race Family, which once again was able to prove its dominance as the most successful Nordic ski, boot, and bindings brand. Fischer athletes won 52.5% of all medals, of which 26 were gold, 23 silver, and 25 bronze. Fischer was also unbeatable in Sweden’s Vasaloppet. The men scored a podium hat-trick while the women took the top place as well as third.
World Championships Cross-Country
The world championships tracks were a challenge. Varying snow conditions, and even more so, the long climbs made things difficult. The most successful medal hunter of all was Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway, who immediately sprinted his way to gold in convincing fashion in the Team Sprint and the Relay to go along with silver in the Skiathlon and the final event, the 50K. The Swedes set the pace on the women’s side, with Ebba Andersson being crowned world champion in the Skiathlon as well as the 30K, the women’s final event. On top of that, she took bronze in the 10K and in the Relay, while Frida Karlsson took two silvers and two bronzes in those same disciplines.
At age 34, Astrid Øyre Slind of Norway surprised with a bronze in the Skiathlon in her relatively late world championships debut, then went one better, teaming up with Ingvild Flugstad Østberg for gold in the Relay. Countryman Hans Christer Holund also stood on the podium twice, taking gold in the Relay, then bronze in the 15K. The relay races quickly upped Fischer’s medal tally, notably with Finland’s quartet of Ristomatti Hakola, Iivo Niskanen, Perttu Hyvärinen and Niko Anttola all relying on the complete Fischer Speedmax package to battle their way to silver. Other major contributors to the Fischer Race Family effort were Germany’s Katharina Hennig with Relay bronze, with countrymen Albert Kuchler, Jonas Dobler and Friedrich Moch having comparable success. Deserving special mention is Sweden’s William Poromaa, whose bronze in the championships’ final event had to feel like gold after his two fifth place finishes.
World Championships Nordic Combined
Jarl Magnus Riiber was not to be denied. He won each of his four championship starts in convincing fashion. Whether on the ski jump or on the track, he was head and shoulders above the field. Just as convincing was countrywoman Gyda Westvold Hansen, taking gold in her two starts. Every single world champion in the combined competition relied on Fischer jumping skis as well as Speedmax skis, boots, and the TURNAMIC® binding system from Fischer. Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro took gold here in the Team and Mixed Team along with an individual gold on the big jump hill. Austria’s Johannes Lamparter’s strong performance carried him to bronze in each of those same events. Germany’s Julian Schmid battled his way individually to silver on the small jump, and joined up with Vinzenz Geiger for more silver in the two team events. Haruka Kasai of Japan had a nice world championships debut, earning a bronze medal. Adding to the success in the two team events were Norwegians Ida Marie Hagen, Jørgen Graabak, and Espen Andersen who took gold; as well as Germans Jenny Nowak, Johannes Rydzek and Eric Frenzel earning silver; and Austria’s Lisa Hirner with a bronze.
World Championships Ski Jumping
The high-flyer on the hill was clearly Katharina Althaus. The German landed on the podium in each of her four world championship starts, becoming the individual world champion on the small hill, in the Team, and in the Mixed Team, as well as taking a bronze on the large hill. She shared the team world champion title with countrywomen Anna Rupprecht and Selina Freitag. Freitag, like countryman Karl Geiger, was also part of Germany’s Mixed Team title winner. Geiger also won an individual bronze on the small hill. Anna Odine Strøm of Norway started her world championships off with a bronze on the small hill, then teamed up with countrywoman Thea Minyan Bjørseth for silver in the Mixed Team and bronze in the Team competition. Another contributor to Norway’s silver medal winning team was Maren Lundby, who ended up taking individual silver on the large hill in her return after a one-year break from competition. In the team competition, the silver medals of Austrian Jacqueline Seifriedberger and Norwegian Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal; along with Slovenians Nika Kriznar and Ema Klinec; and Austrians Jan Hoerl and Stefan Kraft rounded out the successful efforts of Fischer’s soaring eagles.
Vasaloppet
On the final day of the World Ski Championships, the tradition-rich Vasaloppet was taking place in Sweden. Under ideal conditions Emil Persson (Lager 157 Ski Team) eked out the win with a dominating sprint after covering the 90 kilometers (55.8 mi) from Sälen to Mora. This winter’s series champion secured the win ahead of Andreas Nygaard and Kasper Stadaas (both Team Ragde Charge) with the Speedmax DP Sprint ski- which was specially designed for double poling- and the Speedmax Skiathlon boot. All three relied on Fischer’s Speedmax package, as did nine of the top ten finishers. On the women’s side, Emilie Fleten (Team Ramudden) took her first victory at a major Ski Classics race, with Ida Dahl (Team Engcon) in third also standing on the podium.
