There was no talk in the women's skiathlon over 15 kilometers at the WC in Planica.
At the ski change there was a septet where Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson were first.
Then Andersson stuck, and held on all the way to the goal, despite a fall.
It was the 25-year-old's first individual WC gold, the margin at the finish was 22 seconds.
- It's well-deserved for Ebba, thinking that she was so close, going back to the Olympic three-mile last year, she had the medal in a small box and narrowly misses it at the end, she thinks since that finish she thought about this race and worked hard, says SVT Sports expert Mathias Fredriksson and continues:
- I am impressed with how she starts the season, already in Bruksvallarna at the premiere you could see that she had a tremendous form, impressed at the World Cup premiere as well, since three straight victories in the World Cup after the illness (covid during Christmas and New Year), she is a worthy and well-deserved world champion and has worked hard for this medal.
"Frida has been a bigger star - took a long time for Ebba"
What do you say about how the race unfolded?
- I think it was quite a wait, Ebba probably didn't want Frida with her to the end, I won't say that Ebba is a bad sprinter, but Frida has a sharper sprint, so it was probably a very clear plan and not unexpected from Ebba's side to keep pace in the classic part, not blow up the field maybe, but at least lose a few in the bunch, then in the skating she just pushed on, says Fredriksson.
Ebba Andersson has been at the top of the world for several years, but her first individual victory in the World Cup only came this season.
What's on your mind most after this gold?
- So at the WC in Seefeld four years ago, she got a little sick right before and there were no individual medals there... she has had to work hard, Frida has been a bigger star and won more races, it took quite a long time before first the victory in the world cup, took a long time, was no talk today, the strongest skater, says Fredriksson.