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OBERSTDORF (VG) Johannes Høsflot Klæbo took World Cup gold in the five-mile race after a dramatic sprint in which Aleksandr Bolshunov broke his pole. Emil Iversen hit the silver in front of the Russian. The jury analyzes the situation between Klæbo and Bolshunov. The Russians have filed a protest.
– I feel like he’s trying to get me out. I feel like this is how it happens and you have a lot of room on the other side. It’s incredibly boring with an ending like that. That makes it a bit different, Klæbo tells NRK.
He says he has been told that he will get the gold, while the Russians have protested to the jury.
Bolshunov entered the race for the first time. At the last corner he came into contact with Klæbo and the Russian broke pole early in the race. Iversen passed behind and took the silver in front of Bolshunov.
– Aim directly. I have no other choice. I have nowhere else to go, says Klæbo.
In television footage, it appears that Bolshunov broke his own pole, after the arms of Klæbo and Bulsjonov collided before the latter’s pole.
ONE IN THE OTHER: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Aleksandr Bolshunov finished in the race.
– If I get another message, it will be difficult, says Klæbo.
Bolshunov cried and was crushed in the goal area. Klæbo approached the Russian and tried to comfort him.
– Klæbo is lucky if he can keep the gold, says NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn on the situation.
– What are you going to discuss? There is a zero percent chance that Klæbo is the disc, says Thomas Alsgaard.
The situation is reminiscent of the clinch between Bolshunov and Jon Mäki.
CRUSHED: Aleksandr Bolshunov was very sad in the goal area. Photo: Bjørn Steinar Delebekk
Klæbo now has seven World Cup golds, in addition to three Olympic golds. Today’s gold was Klæbo’s first in the distance. He’s already ranked 15th as the best record of his previous four five miles.
– It feels absolutely amazing. It is a child’s dream. I’m really empty of words, says Klæbo.
– I took silver and it tastes a bit like gold, Iversen tells NRK after his first individual medal at the World Cup.
The field was cleared until the runners used the change of skis. Ten kilometers before the finish line were Emil Iversen, Hans Christer Holund and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo against Jens Burman, Aleksandr Bolshunov and Iivo Niskanen. After 44 kilometers, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Andrew Musgrave also climbed, while the last three kilometers were Bolshunov against four Norwegians.
