Many new Norwegian national champions in Beitostølen
Nov 25, 2019·Nordic Combined
In the absence of some of Team Norway’s top stars, new athletes have risen to the occasion at the second part of the Norwegian national championships 2019 in Beitostølen on the weekend.
National titles were awarded in Sprint and Ind. Gundersen events while the events were open for international athletes as well. The ski jumping part of the nationals took place in Falun (SWE) on the previous weekend.
The PCR was used for the normal Ind. Gundersen events, while rapidly warming conditions in Falun made the jumping events on Sunday difficult, so that the last three athletes, Jarl Magnus Riiber, Jørgen Graabak and Espen Bjørnstad did not start anymore after several athletes had crashed before. Favourite Jarl Riiber had not started in the PCR as well, so the season opening weekend in Beitostølen took place without last season’s record winner.
Bjørnstad and Harald Riiber with maiden titles
In the PCR, Espen Bjørnstad had shown his jumping prowess and taken the first place with a distance of 96.5 metres and 128.5 points. He was followed by youngster Kasper Moen Flatlat with 92 metres and Sinde Ure Søtvik, who showed 91.5 metres. Flatla had a disadvantage of 43 seconds at the start line, while Søtvik started with a delay of 49 seconds, same as Jens Lurås Oftebro, who had achieved the same point total of 116.
In the race, Bjørnstad had only the 13th cross-country time to show for and had to defend his lead against a charging Jørgen Graabak, who had started from position five with a delay of 54 seconds. 4.4. seconds were left for Bjørnstad at the finish line. Graabak claimed silver by beating Jens Oftebro by 5.5 seconds.
Kasper Moen Flatla was the best jumper (94 m; 122.5 p.) in the second jumping event in Falun and began the 10 km race with an advantage of 42 seconds on Harald Riiber. Søtvik was third with a 88.5 metre jump and in this competition round, he shared his 109.5 points and position with the other Oftebro brother, Einar.
Flatla defended his lead for the first part of the 10 km distance in Beitostølen and stayed with the leading group even after that before having to concede defeat when the race became really fast at the end. It came down to a group of five athletes in the end: Riiber, both Oftebro brothers, Søtvik and Espen Andersen decided the top positions amongst themselves on the last big climb. While Jens Oftbro, who had done much of the leading work during the race tried to hold on to his lead, Harald Riiber set a mighty attack which Oftebro was not able to match in the end: he finished 1.1 seconds after Riiber. The third rank went to Sindre Ure Søtvik (+3.3), Einar Oftebro was fourth (+4.1), Espen Andersen had to be satisfied with position 5 (+9.3).
Westvold Hansen and Marte Leinan Lund win national titles
While Tara Geraghty-Moats won the 2.5 km sprint and the 5 km Ind. Gundersen in her typical dominant fashion, the national titles went to Marte Leinan Lund in the sprint event and Gyda Westvold Hansen in the Ind. Gundersen.
Starting into the shorter event with a 28-second delay on Leinan Lund, Geraghty-Moats took the first win with an advantage of 16.2 seconds. Thea Minyan Bjørseth, ranking third after the jumping part finished 53 seconds after the winner, with Hanna Midtsundstad following 3.3 seconds later as fourth.
For the 10 km event, Gyda Westvold Hansen was the best jumper with 86.5 metres and a point total of 103 points. She had a head start of 12 seconds on three athletes, who followed with the same score of 98 points after jumping 83, 84.5 and 83.5 metres: Thea Minyan Bjørseth, Marte Leinan Lund and Tara Geraghty-Moats.
While Westvold Hansen could keep her lead until the half part of the race, Geragthy-Moats closed the gap of 12 seconds fast and recovered behind Westvold Hansen, before attacking on the big hill leading to the stadium in the first round. In the second round, the American skied alone and steadily increased her advantage until it was over one minute at the finish line.
In a Norwegian duel for the title, Leinan Lund steadily worked her way towards Westvold Hansen but the team leader had some aces up her sleeve and increased her speed just when Leinan Lund’s hopes were rising. In the end, Westvold Hansen won the title 10 seconds ahead of Leinan Lund, who took silver. Thea Minyan Bjørseth defended her bronze medal and finished +1:26.7 behind the American. Hanna Midtsundstad was fourth again, +1:44.7 behind the winner.
All cross-country races can still be watched on NRK’s website here.
