Dahl won Vasaloppet after frenzied mass sprint. Copied Anders Aukland – Dagbladet.no

(Dagbladet): No one went faster than John Kristian Dahl on the 90 kilometers from Salen to Mora in this year’s Vasaloppet.

But it was just barely. The traditional long course was in fact ruled by an insane mass sprint about as populous and dramatically as in cycling’s world. Dahl won the sprint ahead of Anders Mølmen Autumn and Øyvind Moen Fjeld, who made a triple Norwegian.

Cross Country Asterisk Dario Cologna was far ahead in the sprint and finished in 5th place. The Swiss are struggling with a calf injury and has jumped off the World Cup circus temporarily due to injury. But stake he manages. Today held it to be the best foreigner in Vasaloppet.

Dahl won the Vasaloppet in 2014 and now has as many victories in the Swedish long race legend Anders Aukland. No Norwegians have more triumphs in the competition which was previously dominated by Swedes.

Now, however, full Norwegian dominance also here, as in most other things including ski under the legs.

Dahl is a “re-educated” sprinter, who has one World Cup victory fralangrennskarrieren: skate sprint in Davos in 2009. 34-year-old from Kirkenes has however always been a versatile gentleman who has tackled many kinds of distances and styles.

Katrim Smutné won the women’s class ahead Britta Johansson Norgren.

the race was first held in 1922. Since then there has been Norwegian victory in the men’s class six times: in 1971 at Ole Ellefsæter, in 2004 by Anders Aukland, in 2008 and 2013 by brother Jorgen Aukland, in 2014 and 2016 by John Kristian Dahl and in 2015 by Petter Eliassen.

Norwegian victory in the women’s category was in 2012 by Vibeke Skofterud and in 2013 and 2014 by Laila Kveli.