vendredi 23 janvier 2015

Germany's Frenzel keeps winning in Nordic combined

Sapporo, Japan (dpa) - Title holder Eric Frenzel remained unstoppable in the Nordic combined skiing World Cup and extended his overall lead with a sixth season victory in Sapporo on Friday.

There was more joy for Germany when cross-country skier Steffi Boehler matched a career-best third-place finish, in a 10-kilometres freestyle race in Rybinsk, Russia, won by Norway's Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. Swiss Dario Cologna topped the men's 15km.


Placed sixth after a large hill ski-jump of 122 metres, the German Frenzel crossed the finish line of the 10km cross-country pursuit in 27 minutes 23.1 seconds, a week after winning all three stages and the overall title at the Seefeld Triple.

Jan Schmid trailed by 5.0 seconds in second place and fellow Norwegian Haavard Klemetsen was third in snowy and windy conditions, 15.7 seconds off the pace.

"It wasn't easy. I am very satisfied, even more as I returned to Japan after eight years," Frenzel said in reference to the last major Nordic combined event in Japan, at the 2007 Nordic world championships also held in Sapporo.

The world and Olympic champion Frenzel holds a commanding World Cup lead with 721 after his 22nd career victory, far ahead of compatriot Fabian Riessle (476) and Japan's Akito Watabe (461).

The women's cross-country race in Russia saw the former sprint world champion Jacobsen victorious in 28:12.5 minutes, her fourth career win and first in almost seven years.

American Elizabeth Stephen was a career-best second 14.4 seconds behind the winner and Boehler matched her third-best finish from 2009 at the same venue, 36.4 seconds off the pace.

Not present for the races in Russia, less than a month ahead of the world championships in Falun, Sweden, are the top Norwegians around World Cup leader Marit Bjoergen, Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng.

The men's top three, holder Martin Johnsrud Sundy, fellow-Norwegian Petter Northug and Sweden's Calle Halfvarsson, did also not make the trip to Rybinsk where Cologna triumphed in their absence in 36:53.4 minutes for his 17th career win.

Russian Evgeniy Belov, who came third at the recent Tour de Ski, placed second, 16.3 seconds behind, and countryman Sergei Ustyugov was third with a decicit of 28.8 seconds.

Nordic skking World Cup events continue Saturday with another Nordic combined competition and large hill ski-jumping in Sapporo, while the cross-country skiers have sprint races.

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