Zhangjiakou (dpa) – The ice wind shook fences and gangs, at the finish the athletes were welcomed by helpers with blankets and thick jackets.
With a solo run under extreme weather conditions in Zhangjiakou, cross-country skiing queen Therese Johaug provided a spectacular finale to the Olympic competitions for cross-country aces.
“In the end it was really crazy,” said Pia Fink, who fought her way to the finish in 25th place. “A Beijing sign flew over and was right in front of my group on the trail.” The final weekend in the Chinese mountains was anything but ordinary and also triggered discussions about how to deal with the cold.
Historic decision for men
For the first time in the history of the Winter Games, no race was held for the full 50 kilometers for the men on Saturday. The German team boss Peter Schlickenrieder praised the reduction to 28.4 kilometers as “absolutely the right decision”. The former world-class cross-country skier added: “It was a 30 that felt like two 50s in a row.” Not everyone saw it that way – including the Brit Andrew Musgrave. The 31-year-old spoke of a “ridiculous decision”.
Definitely not ridiculous was the performance of Alexander Bolshunov, who won the race. Like Johaug in the women’s race, the Russian cross-country star dominated the men’s long races. Both Johaug and Bolschunov won gold three times in China. Johaug celebrated her last triumph of this winter games with a big Norway flag, Bolschunow put on golden shoes for the award ceremony.
Schlickenrieder: “Cross-country skiing caused a sensation”
Even if, as expected, they were not able to take part in the fight for the podium, the German cross-country skiers started their journey home in a good mood. “We pull here from the field as Olympic champions,” said Schlickenrieder, looking at the sensational gold of Victoria Carl and Katharina Hennig in the team sprint. “Cross-country skiing caused a sensation,” he stated.
After her twelfth place, Carl was also happy at the end. “For me personally, it’s an absolute dream,” said the 26-year-old, looking at gold and relay silver. After a little rest after the bitterly cold race, Carl was looking forward to meeting up with the successful bobsleigh athletes at the airport and on the plane. “Then we’ll celebrate properly again,” she announced.