Victoria Carl excelled in the World Cup finale in Davos, finishing fifth in the 20-kilometer classic race, while Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind claimed victory. The German women’s team performed well, with multiple athletes in the top 15. Friedrich Moch was the top German male, finishing 15th. Martin Löwström Nyenget secured his second win of the season, and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo placed fifth. Several athletes, including Katharina Hennig, faced challenges during the race but are focused on future competitions.
Victoria Carl, the talented cross-country skier, showcased her skills by securing an impressive fifth place in the World Cup finale held in Davos, Switzerland, covering a distance of 20 kilometers using the classic technique. The race was won by Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind, while Friedrich Moch wrapped up his weekend in the 15th position. Norwegian Martin Löwström Nyenget celebrated his second victory of the season.
Up until the 11-kilometer mark, it seemed that Victoria Carl was keeping up with the elite female skiers in Davos, trailing the leader Kerttu Niskanen by just five seconds. However, the DSV athlete faced challenges as the race progressed, ultimately finishing nearly a minute behind the victorious Astrid Oeyre Slind from Norway.
Even the remarkable comeback skier Therese Johaug couldn’t maintain her lead in the final stretch of the race. Although she held a slim advantage three kilometers from the finish, fatigue set in, and the four-time Olympic champion concluded the race in third place, 13.5 seconds behind the winner. Finnish athlete Kerttu Niskanen claimed second place.
Outstanding Team Effort
The German women’s team exhibited a commendable performance in Switzerland, with Katharina Hennig finishing ninth, Pia Fink in twelfth, Katherina Sauerbrey in fourteenth, and Helen Hoffmann in fifteenth, resulting in five Germans landing in the top 15. Lisa Lohmann crossed the finish line in 24th place.
Eyes on the Tour de Ski
Victoria Carl expressed her satisfaction with her fifth-place finish, especially considering that the challenging course in Davos isn’t her forte: ‘It was a really tough race. The diagonal sections were somewhat lacking.‘ Nonetheless, the prospect of standing on the podium motivated her. Currently ranked third in the overall World Cup standings, she plans to spend several more days in Davos to prepare optimally for the upcoming Tour de Ski, which will take place at altitude.
Katharina Hennig faced difficulties in Davos after a strong start. Reflecting on her performance, she shared: ‘I unfortunately got a severe side stitch in the second lap. That has never happened to me in a competition before. Then I had quite a bit of trouble with my breathing. Of course, you lose a lot of time that way.‘ Following her experience in Davos, she is heading home to focus on intensive training to recover from her fall training deficit, attributed to several infections.
Moch’s Tough Challenge
Among the men, Friedrich Moch was the only athlete to reach the top 15, finishing with a time of 2:09.7 minutes behind Nyenget, who secured victory on December 15, 2024, with a time of 55:37.8 minutes. Ivo Niskanen from Finland took second place (+13.10 seconds), while Hugo Lapalus from France finished third (+35.10 seconds).
Moch felt positive about his performance in the 20-kilometer race. He has now made it into the top 15 in four out of five World Cup races this season: ‘I tried to start slowly and then get faster. I managed that quite well until the last lap, which was pretty tough again. I definitely lost something there. All in all, I’m very satisfied.‘ The Allgäu native found himself in ninth place after 14.4 kilometers, navigating the course with Ivo Niskanen, who started a minute after Moch and eventually passed him: ‘I tried to run along for as long as possible. Then I had to let go. I had to manage my strength.‘
Nyenget’s Fourth Victory
The 32-year-old Nyenget demonstrated his prowess by taking the lead at kilometer 7.2 and maintaining it after kilometer 16.5. His impressive performance in Davos follows his earlier win in the 10 kilometers skiathlon in Lillehammer. With this second victory of the season and the fourth of his career, he now wears the red jersey as the leader in the distance World Cup.
Klaebo Falls Short
Even Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who had previously triumphed in the team sprint and sprint events in Davos, could not overcome Nyenget’s dominance. The cross-country skiing star finished in fifth place, trailing by over a minute. Behind him, compatriot Harald Östberg Amundsen, who secured the overall World Cup and the Tour de Ski title last winter, finished sixth (+1:23.6).
Kuchler Maintains Top 30 Position
The second-best German performer was Albert Kuchler, finishing in 29th place (+2:51.0 minutes). The 26-year-old opened the race wearing bib number 1 and remarked: ‘It was special to be the first to hit the track.‘
Florian Notz (+3:54.5 minutes), Lucas Bögl (+3:54.8 minutes), Janosch Brugger (+3:56.3 minutes), and Florian Knopf (+4:10.2 minutes) finished the race in 45th, 46th, 48th, and 53rd places, respectively.