Gold medal in tough long distance

To day I won my first individual European championship title. It was a very tough long distance, mass start with lot of climb. The wind made the tracks difficult to see sometimes, especially challenging skiing in front. Like the middle distance the course was a mix between long cross-country transportation routes and challenging orienteering technically areas. I skied a lot together with Tatiana Vlasova and we kept a good pace. When we got to the 6^th last control we met the 4 women skiing in front of the other forking variant and from this control it was a rat race! I skied away from the control as number two, slowly closing the gap to Liisa Anttila in the lead, the last four controls we skied togheter, it

was challenging because of all the snow in the tracks and due to a better choice approaching the last control, or luck that it was less deep snow where I skied, I punched as number one at the last control and kept the lead into the finish. Liisa Anttila finished second, Tatiana Vlasova finished third. My club mate, Lars Hol Moholdt skied a good race to day, and was the best of the Norwegian men, as number 4. Sindre Jansson Haverstad finished as number 19 and Ove Sætra as number 26. Hans- Jørgen Kvaale broke his skied and did not finish, whilst Evind Tonna and Øyvind Watterdal chose to rest to day and come back strongly on the sprint distance.

The middle distace was also a good race and I am happy for the bronze medal. It was physically very hard with long up-hills, something that should fit me very well. However, I did a mistake to the first control, when I turned left one track to early approaching the first control, and lost control and time finding the control. The rest of the competition I did no mistakes and I won the bronze medal. 30 sec behind winner Tatiana Vlasova and 15 sec behind number two Liisa Anttila. Doing the stupid mistake to the first control really made extra motivated to win to days long distance. The middle distance was no big success for our men, the best Norwegian was Lars Hol Moholdt with a 8th place.

To morrow we will have a rest day, and after two hard races I really look forward to relax here in Miercurea Ciuc. And after an easy day I will hopefully be fit for the sprint distance saturday.

As trainer for the Norwegian juniors the last year I am also really proud of their performances in the junior world championships. Yesterday, on the midle distance, we had four girls on the podium! Barbro Kvaale won, Marie Asprusten got the silver medal, Maren Haverstad was number four and Anna Ulvensøen was number six. In the mens class, Rasmus Korvald Skaare came second and Vetle Ruud Bråten number three. To day on the long mass start Barbro Kvaale won the gold medal again, Marie Asprusten won the bronze medal, whilst Eskil Kinnberg was number four in the mens class.