European SkiO Championships: Sprint master-classes from Alexandersson and Khrennikov

Tove Alexandersson, Sweden and the Russian Eduard Khrennikov won today’s Sprint with winning margins of 34 and 45 seconds respectively. Both had fastest times throughout.

Alexandersson was leading by more than half a minute after just 1.6 km. and completed the course with little lost time. It was a Sweden one and two in the women’s race today, Magdalena Olsson taking the silver medal. She was third at 1.6 km but had a fine race from there on, skiing the rest of the course 3 seconds faster than Alexandersson. Salla Koskela, Finland, who won the Sprint in the first round of the World Cup on home ground, was second at the 1.6 km mark but lost some time after that. The strong Russian team took the next three places and had five finishers in the top ten.

Erik Rost (l), Eduard Khrennikov and Gion Schnyder – men’s Sprint podium    Photos: Donatas Lazauskas

SkiO veteran Eduard Khrennikov, Russia is clearly still in top condition despite his 44 years! He first won the SkiO World Cup overall in 2000, and won his first of several World Championships gold medals in 2002. Today he was fastest from start to finish and beat silver medallist Erik Rost, Sweden by 45 seconds. The up-and-coming Swiss athlete Gion Schnyder was third, 27 seconds further down. Five nations were represented in the top six in the results. Two of the top favourites, Russian Andrey Lamov and Norwegian Lars Moholdt, were unable to complete the course.

Conditions were misty and breezy with a temperature of +2 degrees – not ideal conditions with soft snow at the venue, the Starina alpine skiing centre in the village of Yundola, near Velingrad in Bulgaria. Tomorrow is the Sprint Relay, starting at 12.30 local time. All the races are part of the second round of the SkiO World Cup 2017-2018; 64 men and 41 women from 19 nations are taking part.

Results

Women, 3.06 km

1. Tove Alexandersson SWE 17:04
2. Magdalena Olsson SWE 17:38
3. Salla Koskela FIN 17:53
4. Mariya Kechkina RUS 17:55
5. Anastasia Kravchenko RUS 18:10
6. Alena Trapeznikova RUS 18:52

Men, 3.34 km

1. Eduard Khrennikov RUS 17:15
2. Erik Rost SWE 18:00
3. Gion Schnyder SUI 18:27
4. Misa Tuomala FIN 18:34
5. Sergey Gorlanov RUS 18:37
6. Øyvind Watterdal NOR 18:42

GPS tracking – Women.

GPS tracking – Men.

Pictures.