Andersson wins 10km gold after new close battle with Johaug: 'I'm so surprised - once again'
Mar 04, 2025·Cross-Country
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The Women's Skiathlon at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim (NOR) on Sunday came to a thriller finish where only a photo finish could put defending champion Ebba Andersson (SWE) ahead of three-time Skiathlon gold medallist Therese Johaug (NOR).
The rematch in the Women's 10km Interval Start Classic on Tuesday turned into another nail-biter, once again with Andersson as the winner by a minimal margin before the home favourite.
The 27-year-old, with start number 34, paced her race well and finished in 30.19.8, watching on as Johaug, in bib No.36, crossed the line 1.3 second outside of her winning time. Frida Karlsson (SWE) made it two Swedes on the podium as she crossed the line 12.1 seconds behind her teammate.
"I'm so surprised, once again," Andersson said.
"It was a huge day two days ago and I was prepared for hard conditions and a tight race and it was for sure in that way.
After bagging four medals at the Planica (SLO) 2023 World Championships, including victories in the Skiathlon and 30km Mass Start Classic, Andersson had struggled with health problems and when she won the Women's 10km Interval Start Classic at the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Falun, Sweden, on 15 February – the last race before Trondheim 2025 – it was her first World Cup win since December 2023.
Andersson, who said "it feels so unrealistic and just a dream come true" after her Skiathlon win, felt that she has once again has managed to peak her shape in perfect timing ahead of the season's main event.
It was Sweden's first 10km world title since Charlotte Kalla (SWE) won it in Falun, Sweden, 10 years ago.
Andersson's fourth individual title places her among the eight most decorated skiers at the Women's World Championships. A fifth gold medal make her No.5 in the ranking topped by 12-time individual world champion Marit Bjoergen (NOR).
Johaug, in second place with 10 world titles, could have already matched Bjoergen's gold medal tally had the margins been on her side in Trondheim and was frustrated to once again be so close.
"It was crazy. I am (in total less than) 1.4 seconds away from two gold medals. Oh my God, it is so boring, actually," the 36-year-old said.
Starting just after Andersson, Johaug had known how close the battle was throughout the whole course.
"I'm fighting for a gold medal today and when you are one second in front, two seconds in front, one second behind, three seconds in front, of course it is boring when you are missing it," she said.
Johaug will hope to take revenge in Sunday's 50km Mass Start. The World Championships-debuting event has always been the main focus for Johaug who had won the replaced 30km Mass Start four times before Andersson claimed the title it in her absence two years ago.
"I will use these two races as a really good boost of motivation to take revenge in the 50km," she said.
Andersson said she is ready for another "tough battle" with the 10-time world champion.
"Therese is for sure building up a huge urge within herself to get revenge and it will be tough for the rest of us with some events left," she said.
"We just need to prepare ourselves for a tough battle in the days to come."
Karlsson had been 0.3 of a second from a podium in the Skiathlon but lost the sprint finish to Jonna Sundling (SWE). With a strong push in the last 800 metres, she claimed her ninth World Championships medal to make the 10km podium at four consecutive editions of the competition.
"It feels good. A little bit better than two days ago and I was chasing the medal today so I'm happy," the 25-year-old, who took silver behind Jessie Diggins (USA) at the 10km Free in Planica (SLO) 2023.
The rain and icy conditions from the first days of competition in Trondheim had changed into heavy snow that slowed down the pace.
"It was like day and night from two days ago when it was icy. It was a tough fight out there but it was also fun, so that was good," Karlsson said.
After the top trio, Teresa Stadlober (AUT) had started in position 58 and got to ski most of her race in better conditions as the heavy snowfall stopped. The 32-year-old, who had been 16th in the Skiathlon, made one of the best races of her career and had the best time after 5.9km, looking like a threat to Andersson in the leader's chair.
The last kilometer was however too tough for the Austrian, who had the third best time at the 9.2 mark but ran out of gas, losing more than 10 seconds to Karlsson in the last 800m and had to settle for a fourth place.
"The first lap was really good, then the second lap, especially the second half of it, I was really empty so I had no power anymore," Stadlober said.
"I knew from the coaches that it was really tight and I had to give it all, and I gave it all but in the end it was just the fourth place."
Chasing a first World Championship medal, Stadlober equalled her best result; a fourth place in the Skiathlon at Oberstdorf (GER) 2021.
"It's sad because it's just (places) one, two and three that counts and it is my second time at the World Championships that I’m fourth," she said.
Heidi Weng (NOR) finished in fifth place, 0.3 of a second faster than No.6 Katharina Hennig (GER) as Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR) claimed the seventh place.
Nadja Kaelin (SUI), who made the "best race" of her life in the Skiathlon where she finished in sixth place as the best non-Scandinavian, showed it was not a one-off as she started in No.25 and took a lead that she held until Andersson crossed the finish line. When the race was over, the Swiss 23-year-old had claimed the eighth place, before Finland's Kerttu Niskanen and Johanna Matintalo who completed the top-10.
"I'm super happy," Kaelin said.
"The season wasn't so good so I did a training block at home before Falun and now it just works."
