Norwegian women's cross-country skiers rejoice after winning the 4×5 km relay at the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, March 2, 2023.
Planica (Slovenia) – Norwegian women's cross-country skiing at skiers defended the gold in the 4×5 km relay at the World Championships, winning ahead of Germany and Sweden in Planica. The Czech quartet of Adéla Nováková, Kateřina Razýmová, Kateřina Janatová and Barbora Havlíčková took ninth place.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: 2023 WC Classic Skiing in Planica
, Czeché female runners were nineáté” />
, Czeché female runners were nineáté” />
Norway's skiers returned to the podium at the big event after missing out at the Beijing Olympics last year, where they finished fifth. They won by 20.5 seconds ahead of the Germans, who repeated the silver position from China. The biggest favorites, the Swedish women, had a loss of 28.7 seconds.
The Czech women's representatives finished with a distance of 3:53 minutes and fell one place compared to the last championship in 2021, where they achieved the best result after 14 years. Last year in Beijing, the Razíms were the thirteenth without a pregnancy.
The winning Norwegian quartet consisted of Tiril Udnes Wengová, Astrid Öyre Slindová, Ingvild Flugstad Östbergová and Anne Kalvaaová. Östbergová tore apart the leading group on the way up the hill and sent Kalvaaová into the final section with a six-second advantage, which the finisher even highlighted. The German women won their country's first cross-country medal at the World Championships since 2011. Sweden's Maja Dahlqvist had to fight hard for the bronze with Krista Pärmäkoski, she shook off the Finn only in the final tens of meters.
The Czech representatives started the race outside the elite ten, Nováková passing Razýmová as eleventh out of thirteen relays. Razýmová moved up one place on her classic section and the Czechs finally settled in the top ten thanks to Janatová, who sent the finisher Havlíčková to the track in eighth place. The 22-year-old cross-country runner was not enough for her opponent from Canada and brought the Czech relay to ninth place.
Havlíčková, a former great talent of Czech skiing, presented herself at the World Championships for the second time in her career, six years ago in Lahti at the championship, she made her debut in the relay as a sixteen-year-old. She started among the elite today after three years of health problems.
World Championship in Classic Skiing in Planica:
Running:
< strong>Women – 4×5 km relay: 1. Norway (T.U. Wengová, Slindová, Östbergová, Kalvaaová) 50:33.3, 2. Germany (Gimmlerová, Hennigová, Finková, Carlová) -20.5, 3. Sweden (Ribomová, Anderssonová, Karlssonová, Dahlqvistová) -28.7, 4. Finland -30.5, 5. USA -1:34.6, 6. France -2:29.6, …9 . Czech Republic (A. Nováková, Razýmová, Janatová, Havlíčková) -3:53.0.
Jumps:
17:30 big men's bridge – qualification.
