At the end of the World Cup in Falun, Sweden, the German cross-country skiers set a warning and made it onto the podium in the mixed relay. With Albert Kuchler, Katharina Hennig, Anian Sossau and Victoria Carl, the first German quartet was only beaten by two Scandinavian teams.
Sweden I with Calle Halfvarsson, Moa Ilar, Edvin Anger and Jonna Sundling won the mixed relay at the home World Cup in Falun on Sunday (03/19/2023). Norway I (Martin Nyenget, Heidi Weng, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Anne Kjersti Kalvaa) finished second, 4.6 seconds behind, ahead of Albert Kuchler, Katharina Hennig, Annian Sossau and Victoria Carl, who sprinted to the finish against the second Norwegian team decided. Germany II with Janosch Brugger, Sofie Krehl, Jan Stölben and Pia Fink also came in a respectable sixth place (+46 seconds).
Hennig leads German quartet to the top
After almost four kilometers of the 4×5 kilometer race, the pace in the lead through Norway increased for the first time, which the two German teams with Albert Kuchler and Janosch Brugger were initially unable to follow. So Katharina Hennig and Sofie Krehl were sent in pursuit, 20 seconds behind. Hennig, currently Germany’s best cross-country skier, put in an outstanding performance and only needed a little over 2.5 kilometers to fight her way back into the leading group.
Eventually she was even able to pass first to Anian Sossau. The second German quartet, now Jan Stölben’s turn, followed 26 seconds behind. Sossau kept up almost three kilometers in the top group of five, which also included the two Norwegian teams with three-time world champion Simen Hegstad Krüger, Sweden and Italy, but then had to let something tear off.
Carl fights his way back and past
He lost almost twelve seconds before the final change to Victoria Carl. Pia Fink was another 25 seconds behind in ninth place. Similar to Hennig, Carl fell behind on the first of the two 2.5-kilometer laps and then tried to gather some strength for the final sprint in the slipstream of the competition. On the penultimate climb, Norway I and Sweden I pulled away a bit, Carl maintained third place and didn’t lose it in the sprint to the finish.