Matti Heikkinen helped push Finnish skiing out from the shadow of a decade-old doping scandal as he held off two Norwegians to win his country’s first gold medal at the Nordic world skiing championships on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old Heikkinen won the 15km classical-style race in 38 minutes, 14.7 seconds to earn his first world title, after taking bronze in the same event two years ago in Liberec, Czech Republic.
Eldar Roenning finished 13.3 seconds behind to take silver, while fellow Norwegian Martin Johnsrud Sundby was third, 31.9 seconds back.
Photo: EPA
A large crowd of mainly Norwegians urged on Heikkinen as he approached the line, appreciating the relentless work that had gone in to defeating two local favorites.
“It’s nice to see that cross-country skiers in Norway are like ice hockey players in Finland,” Heikkinen said.
The exhausted Finn barely reacted after the race, in contrast to the Norwegian duo who immediately celebrated getting among the medals.
Photo: Reuters
“For me there is a black moment for some minutes after a race, but this evening will be special,” Heikkinen said.
The gold medalist said he hoped his win would help draw a permanent line under a dark decade for Finnish cross-country skiing after six team members tested positive for banned -substances at the home worlds in Lahti in 2001.
“I have nothing to do with these things,” Heikkinen said. “It’s time to take a big step forward and concentrate on what is happening now and in the future.”
The racers battled difficult snow conditions amid rising temperatures at the Holmenkollen arena, and many of the pre-race favorites slipped down the placings after getting their ski selection wrong.
Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, who tops the World Cup standings, trailed by more than two minutes in 25th. Daniel Richardson of Sweden, another pre-race favorite after a dominating win in the last World Cup race in this discipline, was more than three minutes back in 42nd.
Petter Northug, the Norwegian winner of the 30km pursuit, sat out Tuesday’s race to rest up for later events.
It was still a successful day for the host nation, as the 28-year-old Roenning led the time-trial race after 7km, but an aggressive opening sapped him of energy and Heikkinen edged in front at the 10km split.
“I gave it everything I had and am really happy with the silver,” Roenning said. “The snow was very slow and it was difficult to get a good grip but I think I had good skis today.”
Johnsrud Sundby, 26, said it was “pretty funny” that Norway was sometimes dismissed as a one-man team, spearheaded by the enigmatic Northug. Growing up, the younger of the two medalists said it was Roenning he had viewed as a role model.
“I’ve always looked up to Eldar in classical,” Johnsrud Sundby said.
Tuesday’s two-medal haul stretched Norway’s lead at the top of the medals table after 11 of 21 events. The host nation’s skiers — helped on by the massive crowds at Holmenkollen — have 10 medals to Austria’s six and Germany’s four.
“The crowd just did an amazing job cheering me toward this medal,” Johnsrud Sundby said.
However, the thousands of fans waving Norwegian flags didn’t distract the new world champion.
“I started to ski when I was nine,” Heikkinen said. “I’ve had lots of bad days, lots of good days, but today was perfect.”
Yesterday was to see the Nordic combined athletes take on Holmenkollen’s landmark large hill for the first time, while the men’s and women’s cross-country skiers compete in team sprint relays.
The Nordic world championships run through Sunday.
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