The twenty-year-old Russian star Soboleva won the women’s race with ease. She was already the fastest in the qualification and dominated all the heats. In the final, she crossed the finishing line with a comfortable lead ahead of the German silver medallist Sandra Ringwald and the bronze winner Hanna Kolb, also from Germany. Kolb did not manage to repeat her success of last year’s U23 World Ski Championships in Turkey.
’’I am so happy. I’ve been feeling very strong since this morning. I was fast in the qualifications and went to the quarter-finals with the fastest time. In the heats, I always tried to be in the front to gain control of the race. I believed I could go for a victory in the final. It is a dream come true for me,“ said the winner, Elena Soboleva.
Sandra Ringwald: “I'm so happy, it was so amazing to compete here today. It is awesome to get silver. In the morning, I was very tired, but then I thought it could be my competition today. I am so happy that the silver and bronze medals go to Germany“.
Hanna Kolb: “I am not disappointed at all about the third place. I hoped for a medal in the sprint. It is great that Sandra (Ringwald) is on the podium as well. It was really tight in the end between me and Daria Godovanichenko. I like the course very much. I think there is a great atmosphere in our team. We have many good athletes and in the U23 we push each other in training and also in competition.“
U23 Ladies – Classic Sprint
1. Soboleva (RUS) 3:17,65
2. Ringwad +1,3 s
3. Kolb (both GER) +1,3
4. Godovanichenko (RUS) +3
5. Haga (NOR) +13,1
6. Vuerich (ITA) +46,3.
