Three Czech national teams started in Lahti and all advanced from the qualification to the elimination part. Janatová, who rode the semifinals, got the furthest in her. She finished sixth in her race and was classified 11th. She was two places behind the ninth place from the sprint in Dresden in December 2020.
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“This is my best placement this year and my first advance to the semifinals this season, so I am very happy for the result,” Janatová said in a press release. “For the quarterfinals, I deliberately chose Diggins, who always runs very fast from start to finish. This plan worked out for me and it was a step forward. In the semifinals, the killer combination of the last race and the first semifinal was “I tried to fight and keep in touch, but then it was hard for me,” she added.
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RuhSecond Czech Tereza Beranová, who slipped into the main stage as the last thirty, dropped out in the quarterfinals and finished in 25th position. The first round was also final for Novák, who was fourth in his race by one place behind the three-time Olympic champion from Beijing Alexander Bolshunov. Neither Novák nor the famous Russian made it to the semifinals for a while.
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The final races had a completely different course. While Sundling overtook her victory with a lead of more than three seconds, Klaebo struggled to the last meter with qualifying winner Lucas Chanavat. In the end, the leader of the World Cup defeated the French in a photofinish by only four hundredths.
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The Swedes occupied the complete podium, the leading woman in the series, Natalia Nnyryaev from Russia, finished sixth. In the men, Chanavat broke the Norwegian triple block.
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On Sunday, the 10th and 15 km races in classic technique will take place in Lahti.
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| Cross-country skiing in Lahti (Finland) – free sprint: |
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| Men: |
| 1. Klaebo (Nor.) 2: 58.34 |
| 2. Chanavat (Fr.) -0.04 |
| 3. Scar -0.23 |
| 4. Taugboel (oba Nor.) -0,58 |
| 5. Retivych (Rus.) -0.90 |
| 6. Wang Chiang (China) -7.77 |
| … 18. Novák (Czech Republic). |
| SP standings (after 18 of 27 races): |
| 1. Klaebo 1295 |
| 2. Bolshunov (Rus.) 833 |
| 3. Valnes (Nor.) 535 |
| 4. Niskanen (Fin.) 485 |
| 5. Golberg (Nor.) 474 |
| 6. Yakimushkin (Rus.) 437 |
| … 21. Novak 246 |
| 75. Black 29 |
| 80. Scheller 24 |
| 91. Pechousek 16 |
| 97. Fellner 15 |
| 113. Kalivoda 7 |
| 123. Knop (all CR) 5. |
| Women: |
| 1. Sundlingová 3: 12,86 |
| 2. Riboma -3.28 |
| 3. Dahlqvist (all Sweden) -3.67 |
| 4. Digginsová (USA) -3,93 |
| 5. Lampicova (Slovenia) -4.01 |
| 6. Něprjajevová (RUS) -4.69 |
| … 11. Janatová, 25. Beranová (both CR). |
| SP standings (after 18 of 27 races): |
| 1. Něprjajevová 893 |
| 2. Digginsová 684 |
| 3. Andersson (SWE) 648 |
| 4. H. Wengová (Nor.) 586 |
| 5. Dahlqvistová 529 |
| 6. Pärmäkoskiová (FIN) 520 |
| … 36. Janatová 112 |
| 76. Beranová 19 |
| 89. Hynčicová 11 |
| 108. Nováková (both CR) 2. |
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