The World Cup is back in Lillehammer
Dec 02, 2021·Cross-Country
With an exciting three-day schedule, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup is back in Lillehammer (NOR). Friday awaits with a Sprint in Free technique, followed by Saturdays Individual start over 10km for women and 15km for men in Free technique. Sunday concludes the event with Relay competitions.
After warm and rainy weeks in October and November, the temperatures finally dropped just over a week ago. Thanks to the lower temperatures and the already saved snowfarming in-store, competition could be confirmed. However, due to the snow shortage, a shorter loop had to be taken into consideration what led to a change of program from the originally planned Skiathlon to an Interval Start for Saturdays race program. The course setting was adapted to start in the former Biathlon stadium at the Birkebeineren area.
In addition, strong autumn storms blew through Norway just 10 days ago and put additional challenges on the shoulders of the organizers. Over 100 trees had fallen onto the planned course and so - before being able to prepare any snow tracks - forest work was on schedule.
Despite all challenges, as international teams arrived on Wednesday, great training conditions awaited in the Birkebeineren stadium. The teams once more face cold temperatures and a new race course which is more technical than the courses athletes are usually used to when racing in Lillehammer.
Competition preview
Friday's Sprint competition guarantees a spectacular encounter featuring Sprint experts Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Federico Pellegrino, Sergey Ustiugov in the men's competitions and among others, Maja Dahlqvist, Nadine Fähndrich, Natalia Nepryaeva in the women's competitions.
Saturday's interval start is the stage for another encounter of Therese Johaug, Frida Karlsson, last years Overall World Cup winner Jessie Diggins and Distance expert Ebba Andersson facing the victory. Will the Norwegian Distance experts Emil Iversen, Hans Christer Holund, Simen Hegstad Krüger conquer the winning runs of last seasons Overall World Cup leader Alexander Bolshunov?
The calculation for Sunday's Relay of the men look simple on paper: Norway has won a record of 25 wins in the World Cup - 19 more than any other country. Since 2010, the victory in a mens Relay was either taken by Norway or Russia.. which team can break this record?
Click here to find more pre-competition facts for the upcoming World Cup in Lillehammer.
