“It’s gearing up to a fantastic season for the Madshus team across the board and across the borders,” says Per Wiik, who is the Global Marketing manager at Madshus.
“It’s been an amazing start to the World Cup in all of the Nordic sports and biathlon, and with the Olympics in February, this is looking sweet for our athletes,” he says.
Just this past weekend, there were several breakthrough performances for the Madshus World Cup athletes.
Cross-country skier Paal Golberg (NOR) earned his first ever World Cup victory when he won the men’s 15K classic in Lillehammer on Dec. 7. At the same time, Didrik Toenseth (NOR) stepped up to the World Cup podium for the first time as well, delivering a strong third place finish at the same event. The next day, Alexander Bessmertnykh (RUS) helped the Russian team to victory in the men’s 4×7.5K relay, beating all four of the Norwegian teams. Golberg and Toenseth were both back on the podium in the relay as well, helping Norway I to a third place finish. In the women’s relay on Dec. 8, Madshus racers Heidi Weng and Kristin Stoermer Steira helped Norway I to an impressive first place, while Krista Laheentenmaki anchored Finland to second place.
And at the World Cup opener in Kuusamo, Finland, November 29 – December 1, Madshus racer Noah Hoffmann (USA) posted the hands-down, overall fastest race time for the pursuit that concluded the 3-day minitour.
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The Madshus biathletes are also red-hot from the get-go. Ann Kristin Aafedt Flatland (NOR) went straight to the top of the podium on her comeback to the World Cup level, winning the 7.5K sprint at the World Cup opener in Östersund, Sweden, on November 30. The following weekend, fellow Norwegian team racer Synnoeve Solemdal won the pursuit in Hochpfilzen, Austria, where she had her international breakthrough at the World Cup level last year. Solemdal also helped Norway to a second place in the mixed relay at the World Cup opener in Östersund.
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Lars Berger (NOR) is in killer shape, and won the men’s 10K sprint in Hochpfilzen, missing only two targets and beating Martin Fourcade by almost 15 seconds. The king of biathlon, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) has returned with a vengeance, and races as fast and efficiently as ever. He was third in the Hochpfilzen sprint and helped Norway to first place in the men’s relay, anchored by Madshus racer Emil Hegle Svendsen.
In Nordic combined, Magnus Moan (NOR) has been on the podium twice in World Cup competitions already, posting one of first and one second place. At the season opener in Kusamo, he helped the Norwegian team to a victory in the team competition, and followed up with second place at the World Cup in Lillehammer Dec. 8.
“Our Madshus Redline skis and the SuperNano boots are delivering on all circuits,” Wiik says, adding that he is looking forward to the rest of the season and of course the Olympics in Sotchi in February.