Nicole Fessel died at the age of 17. In the second place in Dobbiaco only half of the Olympic norm missed. The 34-year-old, however, still achieved the best German result of the season in a distance race in the freestyle race over ten kilometres.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Kalla (Sweden) won her third World Cup victory of the winter before five Norwegian women.
In the men’s race, the Norwegian Simon Hegstad Krüger won over 15 km and finished the eight races of his compatriot Johannes Hösflot Kläbo’s winning streak, which ended in tenth place. Best German was Lucas Bögl (Gaißach) in 26th place.
Fessel started strongly and had long time the top 10 in the target, lost on the last kilometers but still several places. To rank 15, which is half the norm for Olympia in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February), only 2.8 seconds were missing at the end. So far, only Sandra Ringwald has met the standard (once top eight or twice top 15).
Behind Oberstdorferin Fessel, the rest of the German team showed a slightly rising form: Victoria Carl (Zella Mehlis) and Katharina Hennig (Oberwiesenthal) collected 22 and 29 World Cup points on the ranks, while Stefanie Böhler (Ibach) and Ringwald (Schonach) only followed on positions 41 and 43.
Kalla won after 22:40.1 minutes ahead of Ragnhild Haga (+5.8 seconds) and Heidi Weng (+13.8). On the other hand, record world champion Marit Björgen had to settle for fifth place. The Norwegian rider missed the podium for the 2008/2009 season for the first time in four races in a row.
The last World Cup weekend before the Tour de Ski (30. December to 7. January) will conclude on Sunday with a pursuit race over the same distance, will start with the intervals of Saturday. The new format is intended to make cross-country skiing more attractive and could in the long run replace the skiathlon.