Klæbo ute av kvartfinalen – Skistad disket i kaosrenn i Davos

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo stumbled in the exchange zone after finishing his heat, passing every other skier without a word or glance. The unexpected moment proved costly as the dominant Norwegian faltered in the quarterfinal round of the sprint competition.

“For once, King Klæbo is off balance, and it’s just centimeters from him falling,” said NRK cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn.

See the situation in the video window above!

Klæbo battled back into contention on the second lap, but a poor turn before the finish line relegated him to a fourth-place finish. He was ultimately eliminated from the competition based on time in the third quarterfinal heat.

“For once, Klæbo was undone by technique. He just couldn’t get a good turn in,” Bjørn added.

Lucas Chanavat claimed victory in Klæbo’s absence, edging Federico Pellegrino in a photo finish. Oskar Opstad Vike rounded out the podium in third.

This marked Klæbo’s first quarterfinal exit since February 3, 2016, when he debuted in the World Cup with a 15th-place finish in Drammen – a span of 3,601 days. It also ended a remarkable streak, as it was his first sprint defeat since January 2024.

He had won 21 consecutive sprints, including two national races, 18 World Cup events, and the sprint at last winter’s World Championships.

“He’s furious as he leaves the finish area and very frustrated with himself,” said NRK commentator Jann Post, adding that Klæbo threw his poles to the ground.

Klæbo immediately headed for the team area after the heat, but head coach Arild Monsen quickly caught up to him.

“He’s probably back in his hotel room now,” Monsen told NRK after the sprint. “I had a few words with him. He was a ‘lucky loser’ at that point.”

Even Northug also struggled in the same turn that tripped up Klæbo, taking an unwanted tumble in the snow:

But the drama didn’t end there.

Skistad Disqualified

In the final stretch of the last heat, Kristine Stavås Skistad made contact with Nadine Fähndrich, impacting the Swiss skier’s momentum. Skistad managed to sprint to a second-place finish.

“I don’t think Fähndrich will be very happy with Skistad in that last turn,” commented Post.

Skistad initially believed her second-place finish secured a spot in the final, but was soon informed she had been displaced in her heat due to an obstruction. As a result, she was also disqualified from the race, receiving her second yellow card of the season.

“It was very frustrating to go out like that. I came in with a lot of speed from behind. They were skiing cautiously ahead. It’s easy to make contact,” said Skistad.

Skistad received a yellow card earlier this season at the Beitostølen sprint, sparking controversy when she attempted to intentionally receive another yellow card intentionally the following day, resulting in a red card for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“There’s been a lot of fuss with these yellow cards, so I think we’re done with it now. It’s good to get it over with when you get disqualified,” Skistad told NRK.

“How did your body feel?”

“I felt a little heavy in the prologue and quarterfinal, but I actually think the semifinal was my best. It’s frustrating to go out like this.”

“It could be judged either way, but she definitely disrupted Fähndrich’s turn, reducing her speed on the final stretch,” said Viaplay cross-country expert Niklas Dyrhaug.

“Normally this would be considered a racing incident, but the jury is being strict,” Bjørn added on NRK’s radio broadcast.

Without Skistad in the final, Mathilde Myhrvold came incredibly close to her first World Cup victory, finishing just eight hundredths of a second behind Jonna Sundling in a photo finish.

Russian Athletes Struggle in Return

Neither Korosteljov nor Neprjaeva advanced from the prologue in their World Cup debut. The pair are competing as neutral athletes after Russia’s ban from international competition.

“It was a tough introduction, a brutal introduction to the World Cup for Korosteljov. He’s not among the world’s best in sprint,” said NRK cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn.

“I’m very happy to have made my debut. But it would have been better if it was in a distance race,” said Korosteljov.

“Why is that?”

“This was awful. This was more like a max interval for me. I hope it will be better tomorrow in a distance race so I can show what kind of shape I’m in,” said the Russian to SVT and NRK.

“Have you seen the Norwegian athletes on the course?”

“They said hello but nothing more, we’re not close friends,” said Korosteljov.

“But they want to talk to you.”

“Seriously? No problem. When I meet them next time, I have no problem talking to them,” said Korosteljov, adding that he has received positive feedback for being allowed to compete in the World Cup.

They haven’t been seen in the World Cup since being banned from the country when they were in Holmenkollen nearly four years ago.

These are the Requirements

Neprjaeva and Korosteljov are staying at the same hotel as the Italian team. They are coached by former Russian national team coach Marcus Cramer.

Russia appealed the country’s ban from the World Cup and won in CAS ten days ago. To be able to participate, athletes must demonstrate that they are neutral.

All athletes seeking neutral status must send an email to the federation and apply for it.

All applications will be reviewed by three people: The Secretary General of FIS, an independent sports integrity expert, and a representative from the FIS administration who reviews the findings of FIS’ review of the relevant athletes.

• Athletes wishing to compete in the Olympics as neutral athletes must meet several criteria.
• Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war will not be able to compete.
• Athletes and support personnel who are under contract with the Russian or Belarusian military, or national security agencies, will not be able to compete.

Athletes must have undergone all necessary anti-doping testing leading up to and during the Winter Olympics.