Saved at Ruka: Johaug still escapes the handicap

LILLEHAMMER / BEITOSTØLEN (Dagbladet): Therese Johaug broke away from the 143rd to the 28th day of the FIS remote launch with her victories in Beitostølen and Kuusamo. This means that she is soon back to the level of sowing to which she belongs, but this is still a little before starting in the same basin as the best in the world.

In Ruka, Charlotte Kalla and co. Johaug had a competitive advantage that can increase if conditions change during the competition.

– How will this start in a different group than your most important competitors?

"I do not think there's so much to say about the timing of the start, and then there's only one thing that applies to focus on my race and myself. "says Therese Johaug in Dagbladet.

"But is it a little different to start with a group of runners around you?

– Yes, it's different. But I focus on what I have to do and what work I need to put aside.

– How far are you from the top?

"If I had an answer to that, I would love to give it to you, we almost have to see the tracks ahead.

seeding problems

This week's mini-tour in Lillehammer starts with a sprint. There have been no results for Johaug in the last 12 months and therefore no FIS points recorded.

Johaug does not meet the requirements of the FIS to participate in the world sprint in the sprint world, but gets a derogation for the sprint at Lillehammer anyway, that's all the time part of a mini-tour.

Basically, the rules are: The best ranked sprints start first and offer the best conditions. Second, they are in second place, third in the lead, and so on.

The last ones that start have the most difficult starting point.

– You start after the FIS points. Usually sprinting starts with the lowest FIS points and the highest FIS points. Johaug must start after the FIS points she's got, Vegard Ulvang, chairman of the FIS cross-country committee, told Dagbladet last week.

Saved by Ruka results and rules minitour

Despite the lack of FIS points in the sprint, Johaug nevertheless avoids starting the prologue last. Thus, she also avoids starting the mini-tour with a handicap due to a difficult starting point and a heavier relationship.

On Thursday night, the FIS start lists arrived with Johaug as number 9, although she did not have any FIS points in the sprint.

FIS Deputy Director Pierre Mignerey explains to Dagbladet why:

"Johaug should start in a sprint, but in the group sitting in Lillehammer, because of his results in Ruka and his good position in the World Cup," Mignerey told Dagbladet.

"As this is a minitour and not just a regular sprint, we can base the overall cup instead of looking at FIS points in the sprint specifically, as in regular sprint races.

Johaug past sprintcomeback

Thus, the Norwegian star of cross-country avoids leaving with a difficult starting point.

"I'm very excited about the form of the sprint – I have not tested it for a long time – it will be exciting to watch," says Johaug, who has trained faster than before in the last two years.

"I tried to improve in areas where I had a weakness, including strength and speed.The tests indicate that I improved here," says Johaug to Dagbladet.

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