In the morning, the news spread that two athletes can not compete today: Sophie Caldwell (USA) is injured after yesterday she suffered one of the many falls in the sultry spring snow, and Natalia Nepryaeva (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) had to resign because of illness and could not fight for the overall World Cup at least today. Whether or not she will be able to travel and compete for the final World Cup is not known yet. The conditions were again very difficult today, to the sultry snow of yesterday in the downhills now joined fresh snow, which made the entire course very deep. As usual this winter, top favorite Therese Johaug decided on an early number within the red group, to present the time that the others have to beat. As in the last few weeks her lead on the runner-up was not as huge as in the first half of the season. Johaug was 13 seconds ahead of Ebba Andersson after the first 5-kilometer lap with exhausting Mordarbakken. "It was very difficult to race today, I did not feel so good during the race, but it was the same for all of us. The conditions were very difficult with the deep snow", says Johaug. In the rise of the second lap, the Norwegian was able to extend her lead over the Swede by five seconds, who was overjoyed with the second place. For a long time, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) was on her way to the podium place to score important 60 World Cup points, extending her lead over Nepryaeva to over 100 points. But Jessie Diggins (USA) fought to the last meter, catching up a few seconds and was 0.5 seconds ahead of the Norwegian, who now has 93 points ahead of the Russian. Nathalie von Siebenthal (SUI, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) impressed with another seventh place before her announced World Cup break. Eighth went to Yulia Belorukova (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots).
You can not plan the tactics of a race much better - but you should either not give more than you have: The Norwegian team had thought about everything perfectly before - thoughts about the conditions and probable lap times and then speculated that the fast Alexander Bolshunov, who necessarily needed a win for the fight for the overall World Cup, sure would take the last start number of the red group (59). Assuming a probable lap time of around eleven minutes, Martin Johnsrud Sundby chose start number 47 and his plan seemed to work. With 11:05 minutes, the Norwegian finished the first lap and saw the start of the Russian, at whose heels he pinned himself from the Mördarbakken. Compared to Tønseth, Sundby gained about 20 seconds between kilometer five and ten, and after ten kilometers was on par with the Russian. In the following Morbarbakken Sundby could no longer keep up with the pace of Bolshunov and lost on the next kilometer on the Russian, but could keep the gap within limits. Alexander Bolshunov won by 8.9 seconds, Sundby finished second and was grinning at the arrival of the Russian, before bowing to Bolshunov's performance at the finish - the Russian could also only laugh about it and the process of the race.
In addition to the two duelists for the victory, the following places also went to Norway and Russia. Didrik Tønseth made the jump on the podium with 17 seconds back. Fifth went to Andrey Larkov (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots). Alexey Chervotkin (RUS, Fischer skis, bindings and boots), who was still on a way to the podium after the first round but then lost a lot, finished seventh. The 22-year-old Andorran skier Ireneu Esteve Altimiras (AND, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) took ninth place and finished in the top ten for the first time. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) scored only 12 points for his 19th place and is only 14 points ahead of Bolshunov in the overall World Cup, who now has the better chances at the World Cup finals.
