09:02
Eight are in the front
5.1 kilometers have now been covered and the leading group has shrunk further. Eight athletes are still very close together. The whole thing is led by Kerttu Niskanen. Katharina Hennig is fifth, Teresa Stadlober is eighth.
09:01
Sauerbrey further in sight
Katherine Sauerbrey is still running behind the top group, but nothing is lost for the German. She is only a few meters behind the best starters at the moment.
08:58
Athletes avoid tracks
It’s back to the stadium and it’s on to the next round in the classic technique. In it, the starters are currently mainly avoiding the tracks. The snow collects there again and again due to the wind, which of course brakes unpleasantly when running. As long as they continue to run the classic technique, this is allowed according to the regulations. Therese Johaug is currently in charge again. Pärmäkoski and Karlsson follow behind. For their part, Hennig and Stadlober are still in the leadership group.
08:56
Matintalo lands in the snow!
There’s the next fall! Johanna Matintalo from Finland is inattentive in the leading group, stumbles and then lands roughly in the snow. Now it’s time for them to invest in order to get back on track.
08:55
Sauerbrey in the second group
Katherine Sauerbrey wasn’t able to stay in the head group, but she can look back on a good race at the moment. She finds herself in the second group in 15th place. Pia Fink is 19th and is currently running together with Swiss runner Nadja Kälin.
08:54
Hennig shows himself in front
Katharina Hennig is doing well at the moment and the German is in a really good position in the leading group of ten starters.
08:53
Diggins falls out
It’s surprisingly fast and the leading group in front is getting smaller and smaller. Jessica Diggins from the USA is also starting to have problems and a gap is forming. Katharina Hennig and Teresa Stadlober are still doing well. You’re right in the middle!
08:51
The first athletes drop out
It doesn’t take long before the first, weaker athletes drop out of the group. Sofie Krehl from the German team is also a little behind.
08:49
Johaug leads field
At the beginning it’s Johaug and Brennan who do the tempo work here. Katharina Hennig is also in the head group, so that she can be with the music when the tempo increases.
08:47
Fall in the fray
Right at the beginning there is a fall in the fray! Anne Kyllönen and Masako Ishida land in the snow. However, they can quickly get back on their feet and since the pace is still relatively low, it is still possible to fight back to the group.
08:45
The battle for the medals is on!
The starting shot has been fired and the 65 athletes are embarking on their first demanding race at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. First there are 7.5 kilometers in the classic technique.
08:41
Crunchy minus degrees
The first pictures from the route show it: the conditions are challenging today. Temperatures are around minus 13 degrees and there is a biting, strong wind. This will keep the athletes busy for almost the entire route, because there are only a few protective forest areas.
08:37
Duo from Switzerland
Nadine Fähndrich from Switzerland will be absent today. She is focused on later races. Lydia Hiernickel and Engadine native Nadja Kälin are at the start, but they are probably just fighting to make it into the top 30.
08:32
Stadlober with low expectations
ÖSV top star Teresa Stadlober goes into the competition with low expectations. Stadlober had to postpone her trip to China by four days because of CT values in the border area and therefore went to the cross-country ski trail late for the test. A fact that also ensured that the Austrian does not feel quite fit for the first task. However, Stadlober always has chances of a good result, especially since the skiathlon has always gone extremely well at major events. In 2018 she was seventh at the Olympics and fourth at the World Championships last year.
08:27
What is possible for DSV women?
The German women in Zhangjiakou are certainly not among the favourites. But you have to give them outsider chances. Katharina Hennig in particular, who has already made it onto the podium this season, could cause a surprise. In addition to her, Pia Fink, Katherine Sauerbrey and Sofie Krehl were nominated for the skiathlon. For them, a result in the top 15 would already be a great start to the Winter Games.
08:23
The favourites
Since there hasn’t been a cross-country skiing World Cup since the beginning of January, it’s not easy to compare the level of performance of the athletes. The big favorite for gold is certainly Therese Johaug, who always copes well with difficult routes and who should also be able to handle the snow conditions. The Swedes, for their part, have two hot irons in the fire in Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson. In the skiathlon you always have to reckon with Krista Pärmäkoski from the Finnish team. In 2018 she won bronze and most recently she was in good shape at the Tour de Ski.
08:19
The daily task
In the skiathlon, which is only rarely run in the World Cup, the combination of the two running styles is required. The first 7.5 kilometers of the race are run in classic style, before switching to free technique in the second half. It starts with a mass start. The last skiathlon took place last year at the World Championships in Oberstdorf.
08:13
Heavy routes
Challenging routes await the athletes during the Winter Games. The cross-country network is 1,700 meters above sea level and thus higher than all routes in Europe. In addition, the route is very windy and the snow is unusual and slow. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s a really challenging loop with lots and lots of long climbs that will require a lot of strength and which the athletes should select quickly.
08:05
Warm welcome!
Hello and welcome to the first decision at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. At 8:45 a.m., the cross-country skiers will fight for gold, silver and bronze in the skiathlon!