OBERSTDORF, Germany, 23 February 2005 — Top favorite Marit Bjoergen of Norway cried bitter tears after a shock elimination which opened the door for Sweden’s Emelie Oehrstig to win the cross-country sprint gold medal yesterday at the Nordic skiing world championships.
There was more agony for Norway when Olympic champion Tor Arne Hetland lost a men’s duel for gold against Russian Vassili Rotchev in what Hetland named “the best sprint final ever at a major event”.
“I am very, very disappointed. I was convinced that I would win the gold here,” said a tearful Bjoergen after crashing out in 17th place, missing the quarterfinals by just nine hundredth of a second.
Bjoergen ruled the sprint over the past years, winning 11 of the last 13 World Cup races in the discipline. Her last first-round elimination was in March 2003 in Drammen, Norway.
She entered yesterday’s race having already won relay gold, pursuit silver and 10km bronze at the Oberstdorf championships.
With Bjoergen out, Oehrstig, who turns 27 on Sunday, dominated the 0.9km final like she had the previous three rounds, clocking 2:15.5 minutes for her first win of any kind.
Countrywoman Lina Andersson just hung on to win silver, 1.3 seconds adrift. Sara Renner prevented a Swedish sweep when she beat Anna Dahlberg for bronze on the home stretch, the first ever medal at the worlds for Canada.
“I had a great day. Everything went like I hoped for in my dreams,” said Oehrstig.
Oehrstig, who only fully concentrated on skiing three years ago after earlier toying with a cycling career, won Sweden’s first women’s cross-country gold in 18 years since Marie-Helene Westin’s 20km title in 1987.
Renner, meanwhile was over the moon to have medaled in the fight with the Swedish trio, and with it upstaged her husband Thomas Grandi, who came fifth in the giant slalom at the alpine worlds two weeks ago.
“This is a great day for me and for Canada,” Renner said.
