One of the busiest winter sports weekends of the year brought more glory to Norway. Henrik Kristoffersen was thrilled to win the slalom World Cup on Sunday, while cross-country skier Martin Johnsrud Sundby seemed to take his own World Cup victory in stride.
The 21-year-old Kristoffersen, still considered a newcomer on the international slalom circuit, was celebrating his World Cup accomplishment even after finishing just behind Marcel Hirscher in the Slovenian ski center of Kranjska Gora. Kristoffersen’s points meant that he won the overall trophy even before the last World Cup event in St Moritz.
“This wasn’t easy,” a jubilant Kristoffersen told reporters after his second-place finish gave him 811 points, compared to Hirscher’s 700. Hirscher won the overall Alpine World Cup, though, so now both can ski the last races of the season with no pressure.
In Canada, meanwhile, Sundby rather quietly won his World Cup globe for the third year in a row. He has so many points from earlier victories that no one can surpass him either. “It’s great, it was one of my main goals this winter, and it will be nice to celebrate it with a cola in bed after Friday’s race (later this week),” Sundby told news bureau NTB. He’s currently taking part in the Canmore tournament in Quebec City.
newsinenglish.no staff
