Cross-country skiing remains the main driving force behind Norway’s success at the Olympic Winter Games. Their standards are so high in the sport, that their eight medals at Beijing 2022 might look like an underwhelming result compared to the 14 of PyeongChang 2018.
One of the athletes that provided a stiff challenge to Norway at Beijing 2022 was ROC’s Alexander Bolshunov. He won a medal in all five events he entered – three gold, a silver and a bronze. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo was just behind, with four medals, but the Norwegian star had some issues in the distance events. Finland’s Iivo Niskanen also performed excellently, with three medals, coming away with one of each colour.
The women’s events also included several multi-medallists including ROC’s Natalia Nepryaeva, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist, Norway’s Therese Johaug, USA’s Jessie Diggins, Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen and Victoria Carl and Katharina Hennig of Germany.
Read on to relive Beijing 2022’s top moments in cross-country skiing, a sport that tests the limits of each and every participant.
Top three moments
1 – German sub delivers breathtaking win in women’s team sprint
A somewhat surprising development at Beijing 2022 was the performance of Germany’s women’s team who won medals in both team events. In the team sprint, they delivered one of the most exciting finishes the sport has witnessed, finishing ahead of Sweden and ROC behind by less than a second.
The most incredible part of the story is the skier who ended the race, Victoria Carl, who was not included in the team initially. She replaced Katherine Sauerbrey, who had to withdraw from the event.
“That we have a gold medal at the end, it’s unbelievable and special. I think it’s very important for us, especially after the silver medal in the [women’s 4 x 5km] relay, it’s very important for cross-country in Germany,” gold medallist Katharina Hennig said.
2 – Alexander Bolshunov: golden medals and golden boots
Relief was the first big emotion felt during the first cross-country skiing competitions, the skiathlon races (30km for men and 15km for women). Norwegian Therese Johaug, who has 14 World Championship titles, won her first Olympic gold medal in the inaugural medal event of the Games. Alexander Bolshunov (ROC) seemed equally pleased with his victory, four years after claiming three silver medals and a bronze at PyeongChang 2018.
“My emotions cannot be expressed. I still have not realised that I am truly an Olympic champion. This last month, I believed in myself a lot and understood that I had to become an Olympic champion and I’m especially happy that I was able to do it here in the first race,” Bolshunov said.
Little did he know that four more medals would be coming his way in Beijing. After the last one, the 50km mass start (that ended up being a 30km race due to weather disruptions), he wore a pair of shiny golden boots to celebrate.
3 – Niskanen waits at the line to congratulate Colombian skier Quintana
After winning the men’s 15km classic and securing his third Olympic gold medal, Finnish cross-country star Iivo Niskanen could have celebrated with his teammates or even enjoyed a rest, but he chose to stand close to the finish line to wait for Colombian Carlos Andrés Quintana, the last skier to complete the race, to share a #StrongerTogether moment alongside him.
“I said, ‘Well done’. You need to respect each other as an athlete. Everyone has done lots of work to be here and it means a lot to take him across the finish line.
“You need that kind of respect in these Olympic Games. Smaller countries don’t have as much budget as the best nations. Everyone needs to be proud of themselves to take part (in) the Olympic Games as a skier,” Niskanen told reporters.
What they said
[Alexander] Bolshunov lived in my head five days after that, but now he’s moved away.
Finnish skier Iivo Niskanen following his victory against his ROC rival in the men’s 15km classic, five days after Bolshunov beat him in the skiathlon race
It’s big for Germany. It’s crazy. We come to the Olympic Games and we have nobody who says, ‘Oh, you’ll come back with a gold medal,’ and yet today we come back with a gold medal. It’s unbelievable.
Germany’s Victoria Carl following their close win against Sweden and ROC in the women’s team sprint
When I travel, I have one bag with the equipment; ski boots, gloves and everything. And then I have another bag filled just with my bread. I have a lot of bread. I don’t know how many but I guess it’s around 20 [loaves] or something. It’s very important. I would be struggling a bit with the stomach and everything if I didn’t bring it, so I need it.
Norwegian star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who is gluten intolerant and takes bread baked by his grandmother to competitions around the world.
Full medal list in Cross-country skiing at Beijing 2022
Women’s 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon
Gold: Therese Johaug (NOR)
Silver: Natalia Nepryaeva (ROC)
Bronze: Teresa Stadlober (AUT)
Men’s 15km + 15km Skiathlon
Gold: Alexander Bolshunov (ROC)
Silver: Denis Spitsov (ROC)
Bronze: Iivo Niskanen (FIN)
Women’s Sprint Free
Gold: Jonna Sundling (SWE)
Silver: Maja Dahlqvist (SWE)
Bronze: Jessie Diggins (USA)
Men’s Sprint Free
Gold: Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR)
Silver: Federico Pellegrino (ITA)
Bronze: Alexander Terentev (ROC)
Women’s 10km Classic
Gold: Therese Johaug (NOR)
Silver: Kerttu Niskanen (FIN)
Bronze: Krista Parmakoski (FIN)
Men’s 15km Classic
Gold: Iivo Niskanen (FIN)
Silver: Alexander Bolshunov (ROC)
Bronze: Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR)
Women’s 4 x 5km Relay
Gold: ROC
Silver: Germany
Bronze: Sweden
Men’s 4 x 10km Relay
Gold: ROC
Silver: Norway
Bronze: France
Women’s Team Sprint Classic
Gold: Germany
Silver: Sweden
Bronze: ROC
Men’s Team Sprint Classic
Gold: Norway
Silver: Finland
Bronze: ROC
Men’s 50km Mass Start Free (reduced to 30km due to weather)
Gold: Alexander Bolshunov (ROC)
Silver: Ivan Yakimushkin (ROC)
Bronze: Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR)
Women’s 30km Mass Start Free
Gold: Therese Johaug (NOR)
Silver: Jessie Diggins (USA)
Bronze: Kerttu Niskanen (FIN)
