Maja Dahlqvist and Linn Svahn got their revenge when Sweden took a double victory in the team sprint: “I jumped for joy when I saw that she put in the push”

Double revenge for Maja Dahlqvist who, together with Linn Svahn, managed the victory in the team sprint in the World Cup in Livigno. We had a plan, the duo admits afterwards.

There were no Finns in the starting field on Sunday either, when the World Cup weekend in Livigno was rounded off with team sprints for both women and men with freestyle.

There was not much that spoke for anything other than a double victory for Sweden in the women’s final – there were still four Swedes among the top five in the sprint on Saturday.

Sweden’s national team management had divided the teams according to a familiar concept: Jonna Sundling (first in the sprint on Saturday) and Emma Ribom (3rd) in the first team, Maja Dahlqvist (2nd) and Linn Svahn (5th) in the second team.

And quite as expected, it was these two teams that settled for the victory. It was Sundling and Dahlqvist who ran the anchor legs, but in contrast to the individual sprint, this time it was Dahlqvist who crossed the finish line first.

– I love doing team sprints with Maja, we have been a good team in the past too. The last time we competed with these teams we finished second and that makes this victory even sweeter, says Svahn in the TV interview.

Svahn and Dahlqvist had also agreed on a plan for the final lap.

– I knew I was going to attack when we passed the last cameraman in the riot, says Dahlqvist.

– I jumped for joy when I saw that she passed him and put in the shot, Svahn compares with a broad smile.

French-Italian duel

On the men’s side, it was much more uncertain, above all because Johannes Høsflot Klæbo had decided to save his energy and stand over the team sprint.

Then it was instead France and Italy that stepped forward.

Richard Jouve and Federico Pellegrino settled for the victory in the race. Pellegrino managed to bring the home crowd to life when he looked to get past Jouve in the final downswing, but in the end it was still Jouve who got the boot over the finish line first.

– I’m just happy that Richard patched up my mistake on the first stage, says a relieved teammate Renaud Jay in the interview afterwards.

– I was way too slow and lost ground, but when we shifted into gear the next time, Richard had picked up the lead and made life easier for me again. I then just tried to stay in the fight and let him finish the job, he continues.