The USA has won gold in cross-country skiing for the first time in Olympic history. Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins won the team sprint in Pyeongchang ahead of Swedish Charlotte Kalla and Stina Nilsson, only bronze went to Marit Björgen and Maiken Caspersen Falla from Norway.
The German duo with the beaten Nicole Fessel and Sandra Ringwald was without chance over the 6×1.25 km in free style and finished last in the final as tenth place.
“I’m already a little disappointed. I felt all right, but in the end it wasn’t there. Eventually the hammer came. We have to live with this,”said Ringwald (Schonach) on ZDF. But above all Fessel (Oberstdorf) was heartbroken after her first appearance in South Korea:”I’ve had it for weeks with my health. I really thought it was going to get better.”
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Björgen forgave her penultimate chance to win the eighth gold medal in her career, which would replace the biathlete Ole Einar Björndalen (Norway) as the most successful winter sportsman in history. The last chance is on Sunday in the “Marathon” over 30 kilometres. Björgen was allowed to comfort himself with the 14. She is now the only Olympic medal holder in front of Björndalen (13).
Randall and Diggins, who had the best sprint qualities in a thrilling three-way final, provided a little surprise. Bill Koch had provided the only Olympic medal of a U. S. runner in 1976 with silver over 30 kilometers.
For the German duo it quickly became clear that a front position was out of reach. Fessel had missed the previous races in Pyeongchang due to health problems and was obviously having a hard time of it:”I just wanted to try, but I can’t,”said the 34-year-old after the semi-final.
Ringwald, who ran in alternation with the Allgäuerin, had to start in her three rounds against the deficit, which her team mate collected.
In 2010, Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Claudia Nystad had even won gold in 2010, while Steffi Böhler and the current biathlete Denise Herrmann, fourth in Sochi four years ago, just barely missed a medal.