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Cross-country skier Laura Gimmler at the Ski World Championships in Planica
Photo:
IMAGO/PETTER ARVIDSON / IMAGO/Bildbyran
One year after the Olympic victory in Beijing, the cross-country skiing team Laura Gimmler and Victoria Carl just missed out on winning another medal.
In the World Championship team sprint from Planica, the duo Sweden (Emma Ribom, Jonna Sundling), Norway (Anne Kjersti Kalvaa and Tiril Udnes Weng) and the USA (Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern) had to admit defeat and finished fourth.
"We didn't have anything to do with a medal today"
A year ago, Carl, together with Katharina Hennig, caused a big surprise in this discipline and won gold.
'It's a pity it's the wooden medal.
Realistically, the improvement from fifth qualifying place to fourth is great.
We didn't have anything to do with a medal today," said team boss Peter Schlickenrieder on ZDF.
Carl and Gimmler alternated during their six laps in a leading group of only four at the end.
However, Gimmler broke in the last few meters and handed over to the last runner, Carl, several seconds behind.
In the end, Carl was almost 17 seconds short of a podium finish.
After crossing the finish line, Gimmler and Carl were completely exhausted.
“Victoria might have managed three or four seconds behind.
But eleven seconds behind, you're lost," said Schlickenrieder: "It's a matter of time before it pays off in precious metal."
After the proper skiathlon races by Friedrich Moch (seventh) and Hennig (fourth), it was the next good result at the World Championships.
However, cross-country skiers will have to wait a little longer for their first World Championship medal in twelve years.
The season is most likely to be given chances in the second week of the World Cup.
ara/dpa
