Russians Sergey Gorlanov and Tatyana Oborina were the winners of today’s mass-start Middle distance, a slow, tough and challenging race both physically and technically due in part to fresh snowfall. This was Gorlanov’s second gold in two days, and for Oborina a step up: silver yesterday, gold today.
No athlete completed the women’s course in under one hour today. There were two arena passages on the course, and Sweden’s Magdalena Olsson led at the end of the first lap. Oborina was in front after the second lap and held the lead to the end, having had a good race overall and finishing 40 seconds ahead of her team-mate, the rapidly improving Marina Vyatkina. Daisy Kudre, Estonia, who won the Long distance in Sweden recently, was bronze medallist today, 50 seconds down on the winner. Yesterday’s gold medallist Alena Trapeznikova made early route choice errors and although she gradually pulled up places later, her final position was fifteenth.
Jubilation at the finish Photos: ESOC
In the men’s race, Vladislav Kiselev was the early leader, but made a significant mistake on the second lap with what proved to be a slow route choice. From that point on, Gorlanov was in front and gradually increased his lead. “I had a near-perfect race apart from a small mistake at the end of the first lap,” he says. Kiselev took the silver medal for the second day in succession, 1.30 down on Gorlanov. Sweden’s Markus Lundholm, finishing with a broken ski, took bronze.
Second gold for Russia’s Sergey Gorlanov
Russia was again the best nation, having gold and silver medals, plus three in the top six, in both races.
Tomorrow the tempo changes – it is the Sprint Relay, for teams of two (one woman, one man) skiing three legs each. The race can be followed live – just click on ‘Live now’ on the IOF website. The race starts at 1400 local time (1000 CET).
Leading results, Middle distance
Women
- Tatyana Oborina RUS 1:01:02
- Marina Vyatkina RUS 1:01:42
- Daisy Kudre EST 1:01:52
- Marjut Turunen FIN 1:02:34
- Magdalena Olsson SWE 1:02:40
- Kseniia Terekhova RUS 1:03:19
Men
- Sergey Gorlanov RUS 56:05
- Vladislav Kiselev RUS 57:35
- Markus Lundholm SWE 58:32
- Erik Rost SWE 59:28
- Jørgen Baklid NOR 59:29
- Andrey Lamov RUS 59:49