First World Championships medal since 2011: Cross-country relay wins silver in Planica

The German cross-country skiers won silver in the relay at the World Championships in Planica and ended a twelve-year dry spell.

Planica – Germany is a cross-country skiing nation again!

The German cross-country relay for women has secured silver at the World Championships.

Laura Gimmler, Katharina Hennig, Pia Fink and Victoria Carl were only beaten by the defending champions from Norway after 4x5 kilometers, bronze went to Sweden.

For the German Ski Association (DSV), it was the first cross-country medal at a World Championships since 2011. The German women's relay had even made it onto the podium for the last time in 2009.

Nordic World Ski Championships: German cross-country relay storms to silver

"I'm really happy because something is growing together here," said national coach Peter Schlickenrieder after the great success on ARD, "that's a very important milestone that we've achieved." Winning the medal is "a great achievement, expectations are increasing .

You have to cope with that first.” The upward trend had already been indicated at the Olympics last year.

Everything went according to plan for the DSV team right from the start on the demanding course: First runner Gimmler (Oberstdorf) handed over to Hennig after her five kilometers as part of a four-man lead group, the medal contenders from the USA were already distanced at this point.

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World Ski Championships in Planica: Gimmler, Hennig, Fink and Carl celebrate relay success

On the second leg, Hennig (Oberwiesenthal) together with Sweden, Norway and Finland extended the lead over the rest of the field and handed over to Fink while in the lead.

The Norwegian Ingvild Flugstad Östberg pulled away, but Fink (Bremelau) shook off Sweden and Finland.

Everything now depended on the final runner Carl (Zella-Mehlis).

The team sprint Olympic champion was unable to move forward, but she confidently secured second place and was greeted by her cheering teammates at the finish.

With the eleventh medal in Slovenia, the DSV set the German World Cup record from 2017.

Ski jumper Katharina Althaus also played a major role in this.

On Friday, the men's relay hopes for a top result, as does Hennig on Saturday over 30 kilometers.

The title fights end on Sunday.