Late surge sends Sand-Hanssen to 20km gold as Longva seals Norwegian double

Julie Sand-Hanssen (NOR) claimed the gold medal in the Women’s 20km Mass Start Free at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, on Wednesday, after an impressive push in the final kilometres.

”I’m so happy,” the 19-year-old said.

”It’s been completely insane.”

As a group of 17 skiers came together heading into the fourth and final 5km lap, Sand-Hanssen was in 16th place. At the 17.6km mark, she was still 14th but started to gain positions.

At 18.9km, Sand-Hanssen had moved up to third, 1.7 seconds behind leader Luisa Dahlke (GER), with Monday’s junior Sprint world champion Heidi Bucher (AUT) in second place. And Sand-Hanssen was not done there.

With a push on the final uphill section of the race, she overtook her opponents and held the lead to the finish line, claiming victory 0.8 seconds ahead of Dahlke. Bucher was unable to follow the two leaders and took bronze, 6.1 seconds behind the winning home skier.

She credited ”all the crowds and everything” for the extra energy in the final stretches and was able to celebrate with her twin sister Norah Sand-Hanssen (NOR), who finished 14th.

”I’m so proud of her. She’s the best,” Julie Sand-Hanssen said.

Dahlke stayed at the front throughout the race, never more than five metres from the lead.

”I’m really happy,” the silver medallist said.

”It was kind of a chilled race from the beginning, I felt really good today and it was like ’let’s try something new – if not here, then when?’ And it went well.”

The 18-year-old, with golden glitter on her cheeks, had a simple game plan.

”My tactic was just to go with the flow and then at the end, to try to give my best,” Dahlke said.

She will start in Friday’s 10km Interval Start Classic, but with lower expectations.

”The Mass Start is kind of my favourite thing, so I don’t know about the Interval Start, but I will try to give my best and I’ll maybe be top 15, top 20, I don’t know. I already reached my goal.”

Bucher battled it out with Ruby Serrouya (CAN) and Norway’s Iselin Bjervig Drivenes for the final podium spot and claimed third place, 0.4 seconds ahead of the Canadian in fourth. Drivenes, who had claimed silver in the Sprint, finished fifth, half a second behind Bucher.

”It feels amazing. I’m super happy,” the Austrian 19-year-old said.

”I’m as happy as I was with the gold medal in the Sprint. it was so hard and it’s crazy to have another medal.

She had tried to slow the pace throughout the race.

”I knew that in the end, I would be fast, but some other girls tried to push the pace and I tried to slow it down,” Bucher said.

”We had quite a big group but in the end, my sprint finish was good enough to secure a medal.”

Longva secures Norwegian double

In the Men’s 20km Mass Start Free, Emil August Longva (NOR) made it two Norwegian gold medals in one day as he clinched the junior world title, 1.8 seconds ahead of Italy’s Marco Pinzani. Anton Kemppi of Finland won bronze.

During the third of four laps, Longva, Pinzani, Kemppi and Daniel Pedranzini (ITA) broke away from the rest of the field, skiing almost half the race together.

Longva made sure to stay close to the lead group for most of the 20km, saving his energy for a final push.

As the leading quartet entered the final kilometre, Longva took the lead, with Pinzani chasing. Longva held on to the front position into the home straight, and the gap of several metres proved too big for the Italian to close.

”I feel really relieved,” 18-year-old Longva said after bagging Norway’s third victory of the championships.

Longva, who also competes in mountain bike, started out playing it safe before Pinzani and Pedranzini increased the pace.

”In the first lap, it was just about going safe, not breaking any poles and staying at the front," he said.

"After that, in the second and third lap, the Italians pushed the tempo so at that point I was just following their backs.

Pinzani was pleased with his silver medal.

”It was amazing. Such a great experience and such a great race. I’m really happy about today,” the 19-year-old said.

”I tried my best but the Norwegian guy beat me. I’m still really, really happy.”

Behind the battle for gold, Kemppi and Pedranzini, who had done most of the hard work at the front of the pack, fought for the final podium place.

Kemppi crossed the line 0.3 seconds ahead of Pedranzini, claiming Finland’s first medal of the championships.

”I have to be satisfied because I had such good skis. But the other guys were just too strong,” Kemppi, 18, said.

”I tried to have some speed in the uphill sections but I just couldn’t drop the other guys. I wasted my energy and lost in the sprint.”

Zachari Moreau of Canada finished fifth, 45.6 seconds behind the winner.

The FIS Junior and U23 World Ski Championships continue on Thursday with the Men’s and Women’s U23 20km Mass Start Free. Next up for the juniors is the 10km Interval Start Classic on Friday, where Pinzani hopes to return to the podium.

”I’m sure that my shape is good and I hope for a result as today,” he said.

For Longva, the expectations are lower.

”Now, at the world championships, I made it, so I don’t give a sh** about what the rest will be in the Classic,” the junior world champion said.

”But I’ll race hard there too.”

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