Johannes Klebo failed in the time trial. Something is wrong with the best skier in the world this winter.

Johannes Klebo failed in the time trial. Something is wrong with the best skier in the world this winter.

Batraz Tomaev November 25, 2023, 17:10 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

The five-time Olympic champion took 14th place.

This weekend the holidays continue for winter sports lovers. Both biathlon and cross-country skiing have fully entered the lives of athletes and fans. Just one favorite of the new ski season is not having fun. Something seems wrong for Johannes Klebo.

Cold shower for Klebo

The first stage of the cross-country skiing World Cup continues in Ruka, Finland. Today the program includes the men’s 10 km time trial. And it wasn’t Klebo who won again.

The main favorite of the competition took only 14th place, losing to the Norwegian Martin Nyengeth by 42.8 seconds. This seems like a failure. The race layout didn’t help either: Klebo simply didn’t have enough strength for the final attack.

“I would like the season to start in 14 days. I need more than eight or nine days of training. 40 seconds behind is a lot, but I hope that in two or three weeks, when the Tour de Ski approaches, everything will be different. I need more time and training. We’ll finish this weekend and make a new plan. It’s not fun to be in bad conditions,” VG quotes Klebo.

It’s great that he didn’t skimp on words of support for his partner.

“Nyengeth deserved this victory. He had to fight a little, but he showed a high level,” Klebo said according to TV 2.

Nyengeth was literally three seconds ahead of Finland’s Iivo Niskanen, who had long held the lead. And he was very upset.

Finn couldn’t contain his emotions after the defeat:

Photo

Niskanen couldn’t contain his emotions and threw his skis in a big way. He lost the gold to the Norwegian in Ruka

Is Klebo no longer the leader of the national team?

It would seem that the day before there were no signs of trouble. In the sprint race, Johannes Klebo was also left without victory, but there he at least got medals. Yes, bronze is a small consolation. But a place outside the top 10 is much worse.

It is noteworthy that the main star of world skiing was only the sixth Norwegian in the arrival protocol. After Nyengeth, the team leader was overtaken by Erik Wallnes (third place), Paul Golberg (fourth place), Harald Amundsen (sixth place) and Simen Kruger (eighth place). All except Tönset and Iversen.

In this sense, the question arises: Is Klebo still a leader?

Johannes Klebo

Photo: Getty Images

Based on the results of the stage in Ruka, it is probably too early to talk about this. But there is already an alarm signal. And the Norwegian himself remained thoughtful.

Now the leader of the World Cup general classification is Erik Valnes. He is already 50 points ahead of Klebo, who occupies second place. And his compatriots Paul Golberg and Harald Amundsen are already breathing behind the current owner of the Big Globe. Only 13 points separate them.

Tomorrow there will be a massive 20 km start in Ruka (Finland). Will Johannes Klebo come to his senses after his failure in the time trial? What is the functional status of the Norwegian after the disease? We are waiting for answers.

In case you’re tired of talking about Klebo:

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