Norwegian cross-country skier Therese Johaug won her first gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympics after triumphing in skiathlon 7.5+7.5 kilometers from cross-country skiing.
The Norwegian made her shot in the second half of the race when the competitors switched from classic to freestyle. Then she opened an advance of more than 30 seconds in just one lap of 3.75 kilometers, which allowed her to relax in the final round.
“For me, this is a dream come true. I have spent thousands of hours training for this medal and I have been away from home for too long, so the feeling right now is extremely pleasant. Initially, I was happy even to be on the track, as there are a number of cases of COVID-19 in our team, and now I am indescribably happy”, said Therese Johaug.
In the final, the Norwegian finished in 44:13.7 minutes and an advance of 30.2 seconds over the representative of the Russian Olympic Committee Natalia Nepryaeva. The leader in the World Cup standings won the silver in the final sprint. The Austrian Teresa Stadlober won bronze.
Therese Johaug is one of the most successful cross-country skiers but this is only the second Olympic gold medal and the first individual from the forum. So far, her only gold was in the relay 4×5 km from Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Her only two other medals at the Olympic Games are one silver and one bronze from Sochi 2014 Olympics. She did not participate in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics because she was punished for doping.
Johaug will also take part in the 10km and 30km races in Beijing.
The Norwegian has 14 world titles in various disciplines.
Women 15km Skiathlon Results:
1. Teresa Johaug (Norway) – 44:13.7
2. Natalia Nepryaeva (Russian Olympic Committee) – 44:43.9
3. Teresa Stadlober (Austria) – 44:44.3
