23-year-old Katharina Hennig made her life's run in today's 10km classic mass start in the Italian Val di Fiemme during the Tour de Ski.

The German passed the finish line as third after Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and Ebba Andersson.

- It was a special race. I don't know what happened in the last few minutes, I'm happy but so surprised. This is very big. It means a lot to me and my team, she tells SVT Sport.

Hennig previously holds an eighth place as the best result in the World Cup.

If the pallet site meant a lot to her herself, it probably means just as much for German cross-country skiing.

January 23, 2015. This is the last time a German was on the podium in a distance race in the World Cup. At that time Stefanie Böhler was third in Russian Rybinsk. Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen also won that time.

- It was longed for. A young girl, that it would suffice for the podium was surprising, both for herself and everyone else. There have been very moving scenes when you saw the German team during the break after the ladies race. They cried and were so happy that Hennig got it, Anders Blomquist says.

The winner Jacobsen was delighted with Hennig's success and believes it is important for the sport with a German on the podium.

- I told Ebba and Katharina that this must be the happiest podium this season. And the most surprising, she says in her victory speech.

CLIP: See the dramatic sprint from the mass start here

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