What a weekend at the races!

December 12, 2022

For Team Madshus, the 2022/23 season appears to go like this: Another World Cup, another podium. Check out the action!

Team Madshus is off to a killer start on the 2022/23 season, both on the biathlon and cross-country World Cups as well as the Ski Classics marathon series.

On Friday, Sturla Holm Lægreid (NOR) kicks off the IBU biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen (AUT) by pulling into third place in the sprint.

On Saturday, Lægreid moves to the top of the podium, racing the first leg of the men’s 4x7.5km relay and setting Norway up nicely for yet another team victory. At the same time, Roman Rees put in a solid effort for Germany on the third leg of the relay. Then Benedikt Doll anchors their team to another third place.

Finally on Sunday, Lægreid started the pursuit in third place, nailed 19 of the 20 targets, crossed the finish line in to second place, and bagged his third podium in three days.

Story continues below

Photo by: Nordic Focus

Among the cross-country skiers, Madshus racers continue to make a statement on the FIS World Cup.

On Friday, Ben Ogden (USA) posted another strong seventh place in the sprint in Beitostølen (NOR) on Friday. While he just missed the final, the 22-year-old certainly deserves the "most combative" award for skiing bold and gutsy in every heat.

Additionally, reigning cross country World Champion Vilde Nilsen (NOR) opens the FIS Para World Cup on the top of the podium: The double World Champion won the 5km classic in Vuokatti (FIN) on Saturday comfortably. On Sunday, she follows up with another victory in the skate sprint.

However, the 21-year-old, who earned two gold medals at the first-ever World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer (NOR) in January and won the overall 2021/22 Para World Cup, admits that she was nervous prior to the World Cup season opener.

“I was really nervous coming into the race, so it felt really good to win. I am certainly not peaking yet, so this is looking promising for the rest of the season,” Nilsen said after her race.

Story continues below

Photo by: Nordic Focus

This weekend was also the opening weekend of the 2022/23 Ski Classics marathon series, featuring two events in Bad Gastein (AUT): the 15-kilometer pro team time trial on Saturday, and the 35-kilometer criterium on Sunday, where Madshus racer Thomas Bing (GER) went straight for the podium.

The 32-year-old was only six seconds from the victory in his first-ever Pro Team marathon event.

In short: the 2022/23 season is looking bright for Team Madshus right from the start.

Photo by: Nordic Focus