Sweden usually takes home the women’s sprint in Ruka.
Now Johanna Hagström knows how it feels too.
On Saturday, she took the first individual World Cup victory of her career.
– It’s crazy, she says.
For the fifth season in a row, there was a Swedish victory in the women’s sprint premiere in Finnish Ruka.
For Johanna Hagström, however, it was the first time. The 26-year-old was the only one of the six Swedes who came to the start who had never previously won an individual World Cup victory.
– I can’t understand it. It feels completely crazy. I’ve had a really good day and I really like Ruka, says Hagström in the victory interview on Viaplay’s broadcast.
Throughout the final session, she proved particularly strong up the last, heavy hill, on the way to the stadium. So also in the final.
– I was surprised that I was the first up the hill and just thought “Johanna, don’t screw this up now”.
– This means so much to me.
Hagström won the final ahead of Norwegian Julie Myhre with another Swede, Maja Dahlqvist, in third place. Jonna Sundling was fourth.
Linn Svahn and Frida Karlsson went out in the quarter-finals, while Emma Ribom dropped out of the final session due to back problems.
The men’s final was won by the favorite Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. The Norwegian was completely superior and won ahead of compatriot Erik Valnes and Finn Lauri Vuorinen.
Marcus Grate, the only Swede in the final, could not challenge for the podium places and finished sixth.
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
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