© KEYSTONE/AP/Aaron Favila
Therese Johaug, deprived of the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, made a strong comeback by winning the skiathlon, the first long-distance event of the Beijing Olympics. This is his first individual Olympic title.
The 33-year-old Norwegian made the difference on a first acceleration shortly before the ski change at the end of the 7.5 km in classic style. On the second part, in skating, the Olympic champion of the Norwegian relay in 2010 only widened the gap.
Ten times world champion and at the head of an impressive record of 79 World Cup victories, Johaug finally gleans a first individual Olympic title, following her medals – silver and bronze – in Sochi in 2014. She had missed the 2018 Olympics following a positive control for clostebol, an anabolic steroid.
Contact case
Johaug’s departure for China had been delayed by the positive coronavirus tests of her fellow trainers Heidi Weng and Anne Kjersti Kalva, of whom she became a contact case.
She does not intend to stop there in Zhangjiakou. She will still be the favorite or co-favorite in the 10 km and 30 km, although she did not spare her efforts on Saturday by pressing on the mushroom until the last meters.
Russian Natalia Nepryaeva, overall leader of the World Cup, took the silver medal 30 seconds away, three tenths ahead of Austrian Teresa Stadlober, at the height of her career with her bronze medal.
Graubünden Nadja Kälin, for her first major competition at 20, exceeded expectations by taking 21st place, 3’46” behind. Her compatriot Lydia Hiernickel came 32nd.
