Petter Northug revved up his preparations for next month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, by winning the penultimate stage of the FIS Tour de Ski on Saturday, cutting into fellow Norwegian Martin Johnsrud Sundby’s overall lead.
Northug clocked 24 minutes, 45.6 seconds over the 10km cross-country classical stage.
Sundby crossed second 9.7 seconds later, while Chris Jespersen, another Norwegian, was third.
Photo: Reuters
Sundby’s lead over Northug was reduced to 48.5 seconds, with Jespersen 1:26.8 behind entering yesterday’s seventh and final stage, the grueling climb up Mount Cermis in Trentino, Italy.
The top American is Noah Hoffman in 31st.
Norwegians are also commanding the women’s race, with two-time runner-up Therese Johaug winning a 5km classical stage to cut into the lead of countrywoman Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen.
Johaug timed 13 minutes, 58.4 seconds to finish 14.9 seconds ahead of Jacobsen, with Anne Kyllonen of Finland third, 19.2 seconds back.
In the overall, Jacobsen’s lead over Johaug was sliced to 23.8 seconds, with Kyllonen 1:31.5 back.
The top American is Jessica Diggins in 11th.
Northug won the 15km classical title at last year’s world championships in Val di Fiemme and also took gold in the 50km at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He has also finished on the podium four times in the Tour de Ski, but has never won the competition.
“I am getting stronger with each competition,” Northug said. “This time I am not as tired going to the final stage.”
Sundby has never come close to winning the Tour de Ski.
“I felt quite tired after yesterday’s competition,” said Sundby, who won Friday’s stage. “I felt better in the second lap. I have to recover well today and get ready for the final climb. It will be pure pain.”
Johaug was runner-up in 2011 and last year, and finished third in 2012, while Jacobsen has never reached the podium.
“I feel I am in a very good shape and I can compete with almost everybody,” Jacobsen said. “I do not think much about the overall result. It’s already a great achievement for me to be in the leading position before the final stage.”
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set