Smallest margin ever at 10km C hands Johaug second Olympic victory

The fifth Cross-Country competition on schedule of the Olympic Winter Games in Zhangjiakou was the Womens 10km in Classic technique. For the individual start race on the course tracks of the Zhangjiakou Cross-Country Center, 98 athletes were at the start line.

All eyes were on the Distance expert Therese Johaug from Norway, who had reached her goal for this Olympic Winter Games already a few days before, with winning her first individual Gold medal at Olympics, in Skiathlon. Nevertheless, the 33 year-old knew how to handle the pressure and went into the two times 5km laps with a plan. “At the high altitude I tried not to go too fast into the first part of the race so that my energy would last until the end”. Indeed, the Norwegian went into the race at a steady pace and her top-contender Kerttu Niskanen from Finland won over 10 seconds in this first part over Johaug.

However, the tables turned as Johaug sped up for the second half and crossed the finish line after 28:06.3. Niskanen, who headed into the race 2 minutes after Johaug had to go all in for every precious second she had skied out at the start of the race. At the final intermediate point, before the final downhill into the stadium round 1.3 second was left of the margin.

Until the finish line however, this tiny margin melted and Niskanen missed the victory by a thin snap of 0.4 seconds – the smallest margin between a gold and silver medallist ever raced in a 10km C at the Olympic Winter Games.

It was the most thrilling awaiting of her contender for Therese Johaug, who awaited Niskanen in the finish. “I feel that it’s also Kerttu’s Gold medal because 0.4 seconds is nothing of a gap,” stated the Olympic Champion afterwards.

Kerttu Niskanen was thrilled of her achievement – especially also as she is joined on the podium by her team colleague from Finland, Kristä Pärmäkoski. Kerttu Niskanen also joins her brother’s successful Olympic journey in China as he won Bronze at the Skiathlon.