After Jessie Diggins surprisingly failed to advance from the qualifiers in Lahti’s sprint, Linn Svahn suddenly had a certain chance to catch up with the American in the overall World Cup.
But Svahn had a tough five miles in Holmenkollen on Saturday. She lost touch with the pack after about halfway through the race, eventually finishing eleventh – almost five minutes behind the victorious Frida Karlsson and one place behind Diggins.
– I have never done a five-mile run before, so it was difficult to know what to expect. But it is demanding, it is, she tells SVT Sport.
You kept up well until the change of skis, then you lost a lot. What happened there?
– It goes quickly. I hang and wire and then I sort of lose them.
Svahn: “She is a big favorite”
With Svahn picking up some bonus points at the start of the race, the gap to Diggins is essentially unchanged, and the American now has a 157-point lead with three races remaining.
– She is the big favorite and leads quite clearly. She has one more competition than me and it will take a lot for that to change, but I will make an attempt, says Svahn.
Diggins: “I’m proud”
Diggins also had a tough day, finishing tenth, over four minutes behind Frida Karlsson.
– I am proud of myself. I just tried to do my best all the time. I started cramping with 25 kilometers to go, which was hard, she says, and continues:
– Every muscle in my body spasmed at one point or another. So I just tried to move the muscles that I could.
After all, you finished in front of Linn Svahn, how important was that?
– I just did everything I could and just tried to ride a fast race. I just take one moment at a time and one day at a time.