Five days after his demonstration in the skiathlon (7.5 km in classic style and 7.5 km in free style), Johaug had to fight until the last meters to secure victory over 10 km, with a time of 28 :06.3, or 4/10ths faster than her runner-up, the Finnish Kerttu Niskanen, 4th and at the foot of the podium on Saturday in the skiathlon.

With her compatriots, Johaug will be the big favorite in the women's relay (4x5 km) on Saturday, and will be in the race a week later on the mass start (30 km in freestyle), for a golden quadruple that even Marit Björgen is not. managed to achieve in her immense career (eight Olympic titles, a record she co-holds with biathlete Ole Einar Björndalen and cross-country skier Björn Daehlie, both Norwegians).

Starting more cautiously than the Russians on this classic 10 km, Niskanen and Johaug fought a long-distance and suspenseful duel for nearly half an hour.

Imitating Ole Einar Björndalen

They were almost tied at halfway, Niskanen thought he had made the hole with an eleven second lead after 6.3 km, but Johaug came back up to the Finn, then ended up tipping the scales on his side thanks to an excellent finish.

The 10 km classic cross-country skiing podium dominated by Norwegian Therese Johaug (c) ahead of Finland's Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Parmakoski (right) at the Beijing Games, February 10, 2022 Pierre-Philippe MARCOU AFP

If the title was played at four tenths of a second between Johaug and Niskanen, the bronze medal went to another Finn, Krista Parmakoski, for even less: only a small tenth of a second allowed her to beat the Russian Natalia Nepryaeva , in silver on the skiathlon.

Johaug's Olympic adventure in China had however started badly, since she had to delay her departure from Norway for Beijing, being in contact with her teammates positive for Covid-19 during the pre-Olympic preparation.

Another type of positive test had deprived her of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang: a doping control had revealed the presence of steroids (attributed to a lip balm) and Johaug had been sanctioned with 18 months of suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport , attending Björgen's triumph in South Korea from home.

Four years later, here she is in a position to mark the history of the Winter Games in her turn, and imitate Ole Einar Björndalen, quadruple Olympic champion in Salt Lake City in 2002. Only the American speed skater Eric Heiden has done better (five titles in 1980 in Lake Placid).

© 2022 AFP