CROSS COUNTRY: Fifth win by Therese Johaug in Davos

Norway's Olympic and World Champion skier Therese Johaug.

The story of the 2018-19 Cross Country World Cup continues to be the return of 2014 and 2016 World Cup champion Therese Johaug of Norway.

Kept out of the PyeongChang Winter Games because of a doping suspension due to the use of a steroid-laced lip balm (!), Johaug came in having won four of the six events in tour so far.

She’s not a sprinter, but she won the women’s 10 km Freestyle over teammate Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg by more than 12 seconds, 26:06.9-26:19.0. Johaug has now won every World Cup race this season other than the sprints. She now has 48 career World Cup wins. Amazing.

Sweden’s Stina Nilsson, the 2018 Olympic Sprint gold medalist, won the Sprint in Davos, just ahead of American Sophie Caldwell, who won her sixth career World Cup medal. , all in Sprints.

In the men’s races, Russia’s Evgeniy Belov won his first World Cup gold in the 15 km Freestyle, and last season’s overall World Cup winner – and Sprint champ – Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) won his first race of the season. Summaries from Davos:

FIS Cross Country World Cup
Davos (SUI) ~ 15-16 December 2018
(Full results here)

Men’s 1.5 km Sprint Freestyle: 1. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (ITA), 2:20.44; 2. Federico Pellegrino (ITA), +0.39; 3. Baptiste Gros (FRA), +1.40; 4. Lucas Chanavat (FRA), +1.45; 5. Eirik Brandsdal (NOR), +6.46.

Men’s 15 km Freestyle: 1. Evgeniy Belov (RUS), 35:52.5; 2. Maurice Manificat (FRA), 35:53.4; 3. Martin Johnsrud Sundby (NOR), 35:57.0; 4. Denis Spitsov (RUS), 36:00.0; 5. Chris Andre Jespersen (NOR), 36:03.1.

Women’s 1.5 km Sprint Freestyle: 1. Stina Nilsson (SWE), 2:41.34; 2. Sophie Caldwell (USA), +0.72; 3. Maja Dahlquist (SWE), +2.60; 4. Natalia Nepryaeva (RUS), +3.98; 5. Katja Visnar (SLO), +4.34.

Women’s 10 km Freestyle: 1. Therese Johaug (NOR), 26:06.9; 2. Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR), 26:19.0; 3. Krista Parmakoski (FIN), 26:26.1; 4. Ebba Andersson (SWE), 26:45.1; 5. Jessica Diggins (USA), 27:08.0. Also: 6. Rosie Brennan (USA), 27:11.8.