SOLDIER HOLLOW, UT (Feb. 1, 2017) - Sweden’s Ebba Andersson picked up the third gold medal of her career, winning the women’s 5k freestyle Wednesday at the USANA FIS Junior Nordic World Championships on the Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow with a 13.8 second win over silver medalist Marte Maehlum Johansen of Norway. Russia’s Mariya Istomina took bronze.
Sweden’s Ebba Anderson picked up the third gold medal of her career, winning the women’s 5k freestyle Wednesday. (U.S. SKi Team-Steven Earl)
American Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT) of Stratton Mountain School was fifth, six seconds out of the medals. It was career best Junior Worlds finish for Ogden, beating her previous by one position. It was the second best U.S. finish of all time.
Sweden’s Ebba Andersson (center) won the women’s 5K freestyle as Marte Maehlum Johansen of Norway (left) was second and Russia’s Mariya Istomina was third. (U.S. Ski Team-Steven Earl)
Anderson came into the event as the favorite, starting last and chasing Johansen the entire way. Course conditions were hard packed under bright skies with temperatures just below freezing.
Junior Worlds action continues Friday with a skiathlon.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ebba Andersson of Sweden won the third career gold medal of her career, taking a solid win in the women’s 5k freestyle at the USANA FIS Junior Nordic World Championships.
- Silver went to Norway’s Marte Maehlum Johansen with Russian Mariya Isthmian taking bronze.
- American Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT) had a career best fifth - the second best U.S. finish ever at Junior Worlds.
- The women race a skiathlon on Friday at Soldier Hollow.
QUOTES
Katharine Ogden
I honestly didn’t have too much of a strategy. It was a short race, so I knew I was going to have to go hard basically from the start. But I was also trying to walk the line of not blowing up.
I’m really psyched (about finishing fifth). It’s really encouraging to know that all those U.S. Ski Team girls that are doing so well right now were in the same place that I am at one point.
It was really cool knowing that (Soldier Hollow) was an Olympic course, that it’s just that caliber of racing is really awesome
ATHLETE AUDIO INTERVIEWS
Ebba Andersson, gold
Marte Maehlum Johansen, silver
Mariya Istomina, bronze
RESULTS
Women’s 5k Freestyle
