‘He was with me today’ – Simpson-Larsen wins Final Climb for late biathlete Bakken

Before the 2025/26 season Karoline Simpson-Larsen had never stood on a World Cup podium before. On Sunday, she claimed her second victory in the space of three weeks, winning the 10km Mass Start Freestyle in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

Barring injury and illness, the 28-year-old will go into the next month’s Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games as one of Norway’s main medal hopes in the women’s distance races.

But it was a bittersweet triumph on Sunday after biathlete close friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken (NOR) was found dead in his room at the Norway team hotel on Christmas Eve, aged 27.

Despite Jessie Diggins’ (USA) place as Overall winner of the Tour de Ski all but guaranteed ahead of the sixth and final race, there was plenty of intrigue with the Tour’s Sprint and Climbing titles up for grabs, as well as valuable World Cup points.

Known to most as ‘the Final Climb’, this was no ordinary 10K. It starts with 6km of undulating terrain through the stadium section, then takes competitors up the gruelling Alpe Cermis. Those who make it to the top invariably collapse across the finish line with exhaustion.

“In the Final Climb, it’s important to find a good position in the first part of the race then save some energy for the uphill section,” said four-time Tour de Ski winner Dario Cologna said before the race.

But, as always, Diggins chose to go out hard, aware that by staying in contention for as long as possible, she could secure the Tour title and then have some fun trying to secure another podium place.

At the 7.4km mark, just as the climb starts to steepen, the American only trailed Maya Dahlqvist, Johanna Hagstroem (both SWE) and Nadine Faehndrich. The trio recognised that by claiming maximum bonus points, they could secure the Tour Sprint title. It was Dahlqvist who prevailed, just ahead of Faehndrich who had recovered from an early fall.

At that point, the climbing specialists took over. Heidi Weng (NOR) a three-time winner of this race and twice the Tour de Ski champion, looked set to battle it out with compatriot Simpson-Larsen for first place, with Ebba Andersson (SWE), Diggins and Teresa Stadlober (AUT) contesting the remaining podium spot.

But Weng faded badly and it was Simpson-Larsen who eventually streaked away to beat the irrepressible Diggins by 8.8 seconds. A charging Stadlober saw off Andersson but couldn’t quite beat Weng to the podium, although the Austrian could at least console herself with the purple bib for the Tour’s top climber.

“I didn’t know I was so good,” joked Simpson-Larsen. “To beat Heidi [Weng] and Jessie [Diggins], I’m happy. I just had to win this race so my only thoughts were ‘just go the finish line’.

“I don’t know how I did it. I was tired. I think Sivert [Guttorm Bakken] was with me today.

“I’m really happy inside. I can’t believe it. It’s a special feeling to win this iconic race.”

Diggins, who extended her lead in the Overall World Cup over Moa Ilar (SWE) as well as wrapping up the Tour de Ski title, said “I’m done – forever” on skiing the Alpe Cermis competitively for the last time.

“I was trying to be smart and safe in terms of the overall Tour, but when it was safe enough, I thought, ‘right, now I can empty the tank”. I have paced it badly before, where you blow up, and that 600 metres is the slowest of your life, so I was trying to ski it smart so that I was dying at the right moment.”

Weng, too, was happy with a place on the podium: “I actually don’t believe that I got third place today,” said the veteran. “Overall, it’s almost amazing because I feel like I have been very up and down in this Tour, a little bit more tired than I expected. But it’s fun to be here and now it’s time to go home and train after a little bit of rest, try to be in good shape.”

After a two-week break, the 2025/26 World Cup season continues in Oberhof, Germany on 17 January.

For the full results from Val di Fiemme, click here

For the Tour de Ski 2025/26 standings, click here