Cross-country skiing Olympic champion Katharina Hennig has dramatically missed her first victory in the World Cup. The American Jesse Diggins was almost four seconds faster.
Cross-country skier Katharina Hennig narrowly missed her first World Cup victory at the World Cup in Lillehammer. The 26-year-old Olympic champion crossed the finish line after 23:53.30 minutes in the individual competition over 10 kilometers in free style thanks to a great performance. Only the American Jesse Diggins was 3.8 seconds faster. Heidi Weng from Norway completed the podium (+15.4 seconds).
Victoria Carl, gold medalist in Beijing together with Hennig, rounded off the fantastic result from a German point of view and finished sixth (+21.8 seconds). Sofie Krehl (+57.6) and Lisa Lohmann (+1:25.90 minutes) finished in 22nd and 31st place.
Hennig outperforms Scandinavian top runners
Hennig had already impressed a week ago at the World Cup opener in Ruka with a third place in the classic individual. And also in the free style, which is actually not her specialty, she showed herself again in dazzling form.
After 1.6 kilometers she had already set the first target time. Only the Swedish top runner Frida Karlsson topped this by a good three seconds. But the German Olympic champion was still on the move as fast as an arrow and was able to keep the competition at a distance.
Diggins snatches victory from Hennig
After a good half of the race, she had already distanced Karlsson by 13 seconds. Their compatriot Ebba Andersson could not keep up either. Even after 8.2 kilometers, Hennig was still in great shape and extended her lead second by second.
When the Norwegian Weng couldn’t keep up either, the sensation for Hennig was within reach. But the Saxon had to keep shaking because Diggins literally flew away on the track. In a dramatic sprint to the finish, the American was just ahead in the final count.