Federico Pellegrino third in sprint in Lillehammer
Federico Pellegrino third in Lillehammer sprint
Federico Pellegrino puts in a capital race, in the sprint skating in Lillehammer, a track that the 34-year-old from Nus, Aosta Valley, likes and on which he had already expressed himself with a victory in 2018 and a second place in 2022.
Completing his very personal podium finish comes a splendid third place in today’s race, the highest possible, behind Klaebo and Northug, but ahead of Jenssen, Chanavat and Holmboe. In short, a race managed with great wisdom since the morning qualifying, in which Pellegrino did not throw too much energy, in order to have maximum reactivity during the final stages.
Quarters and semifinals were passed always with direct qualification, without going through the dangerous repechages, until the final, in which the Italian champion è started by controlling Johannes Klaebo, and trying to keep on his pace. In the final, the Norwegian stretched and Pellegrino also had to give in to Even Northug and his propulsive force. The third place, però, assures the Italian captain the 45th individual result among the top 3 of his career and relaunches him in a season that has already recorded his growth in distance races.
In short, Pellegrino è still a certainty in the sprints and cross-country Italy benefits greatly. Michael Hellweger also did well to enter the quarters, except being eliminated immediately and finishing 29th. A Swedish double in the women’s race, with the usual victory of Jonna Sundling, followed by teammate Johanna Hagstroem and Norwegian Julie Myhre. There were no Italians in the sprint finals.
“I went into the start without expecting anything,” Pellegrino told fisi.org, “I approached it like a tennis match that is played point by point and with this spirit I faced the qualifiers, quarters and semifinals, where at one point I found myself a bit closed, although I came out well. I am very satisfied, one of the unknowns when you get on with age’è is speed, and today I proved to myself that I am still there to play for it, behind the unreachable Klaebo. It’ was a good redemption after Friday’’s empty passage, now I’ m on my way back to the Alps, tomorrow I’ ll not do the skiathlon and will travel directly to Davos, where I’ ll try to give the Nordics a run for their money on our slopes”.