Svahn Wins Tough Lake Placid World Cup Cross-Country Race | Randall’s Challenging Course

Linn Svahn of Sweden secured her first interval start victory at the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Lake Placid, New York, on Thursday, finishing the 10km classic race in 29 minutes and 4.4 seconds. The win came amidst challenging conditions, with heavy snowfall impacting the course and visibility.

Svahn, the Olympic sprint champion, established a significant lead early in the race, gaining over 10 seconds on Frida Karlsson of Sweden at the 3.7km checkpoint. Karlsson, a double Olympic champion herself, battled back, narrowing the gap to just 0.1 seconds by the 6.7km mark. However, Svahn responded with a final push, extending her advantage to 3.1 seconds at 8.8km and ultimately crossing the finish line 1.4 seconds ahead of Karlsson.

The demanding course, designed in part by former Olympic team sprint gold medalist Kikkan Randall, proved to be a significant factor in the race. Randall, who won that gold alongside Jessie Diggins at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, had described the 5km loop as “nearly all uphill with another gruelling climb into the stadium,” and noted that even the downhill sections were difficult due to tight turns and accumulating snow.

Diggins, racing on home snow in what is expected to be her final World Cup event before retirement, finished fifth. Despite not reaching the podium, she received enthusiastic support from the crowd.

Heidi Weng of Norway finished third, 22.1 seconds behind Svahn. This marked Svahn’s third individual World Cup victory of the season and her 20th though only her fourth distance win and first in an interval start race. The World Cup returned to the Mount Van Hoevenberg venue for the first time since 1979.