Therese Johaug ends career* with Holmenkollen victory
Mar 05, 2022·Cross-Country
Today’s 30km Mass start in Classic technique marked the comeback of the traditional Holmenkollen race in Olso (NOR). It was a special day as not only the Holmenkollen Skifest – including competitions in Cross-Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined – reported back, but also spectators were allowed to the event after no access to the prestigious race for two years.
Therese Johaug was the women of the day. The evening before, she announced that the 30km C will be her final competition as a professional athlete at Holmenkollen and that she will end her career afterwards. *edit: As stated, she will finish the season at the World Cup Finals which take place in Falun (SWE) this year. Naturally, all eyes were on the 33 year-old superstar from Norway.
Around her home tracks, it was therefore also early in the race, when she took over the lead. A good 6km into the race, Therese charged off ahead of the successors and performed one last incredible World Cup competition at Holmenkollen that brought her the 81st victory of her World Cup career.
The second and third place were taken by Krista Pärmäkoski from Finland and Jonna Sundling from Sweden. Krista Pärmäkoski had managed to ski out a small gap for the second place and finished 19 seconds behind Johaug.
Jonna Sundling could not believe her achievement after the finish as with the third place, the 27 year-old reached her first World Cup podium in a Distance race.
