The Swedish cross-country skier Charlotte Kalla has won the first gold medal of the 23rd World Championships. Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The 30-year-old won after each 7.5 km in classic and free style ahead of the Norwegian Marit Björgen. Bronze medal went to the Finnish Krista Pärmäkoski.
For Charlotte Kalla it was the third Olympic gold medal after her victories in Vancouver over 10 km and in Sochi with the Swedish relay. Victoria Carl (Zella-Mehlis) was the best of a German trio that was only partially convincing, finishing 20th. Katharina Hennig (Oberwiesenthal) was 22nd, Stefanie Böhler (Ibach) came in 25th place. Nicole Fessel (Oberstdorf), the best German distance runner, had to pass immediately before the race because of breathing problems.
“We can be satisfied with rank 20 and 22. That’s all right with me. They were very aggressive at the race. Perhaps a little too aggressive,”says Andreas Schlütter, Sports Director of the German cross-country skiers, on ZDF:”Steffi Böhler is certainly not satisfied with 25th place, but it was the first race, there are still some more coming.”.
Record world champion Björgen (18 titles), who gave birth to son Marius in December 2015, won her eleventh medal at the start of her fifth winter games since 2002 – she never went out empty-handed at the Olympics. Only their compatriots Ole Einar Björndalen (Biathlon/12) and Björn Dählie (Cross-Country Skiing/11) won more medals in winter games.
The 37-year-old Björgen missed out on becoming the oldest individual winner of the Olympic Winter Games. For the time being, this remains the German luge athlete Sylke Otto, who was just under one and a half years younger in Turin in 2006.