There were several exciting duels in the women’s 15-kilometer race. Both Moa Hansson and Linn Sömskar had the chance to win the overall Svenska Spel Summer Tour. Additionally, Swedish national team stars Maja Dahlqvist and Johanna Hagström were present to test their form.

According to Langd.se, Maja Dahlqvist started the race at a furious pace, and at the first intermediate time after 4.6 kilometers, she had already built a significant lead of 21 seconds over Elin Henriksson in second place.

Dahlqvist continued to increase the gap, and at the finish, she had more than 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Behind Dahlqvist, there was a battle for second and third place, which Poland’s Izabela Marcisz won. Elin Henriksson finished third, 57 seconds behind.

“Can Keep Going”

A year ago, Maja Dahlqvist won the same race, but after that, her form disappeared, and she had a tough season. She and her boyfriend, Kevin Bolger, have moved to Trondheim, where the World Championships will take place early next year.

“I haven’t felt this good in a year. I thought I’d come back here and regain my form since this is where I lost it last year,” Maja Dahlqvist told Expressen after the race.

What feels good?

“Now I can keep going even when I get tired. Before, I would just stop immediately. Now that I know how it should feel, I still don’t understand how I could have skied when I felt the way I did.”

Thriller for the Overall Victory

Behind the leading trio, the most interesting duel was between Moa Hansson and Linn Sömskar, and who of the two would clinch the overall cup victory. Linn Sömskar gained an advantage in the middle of the race, but Moa Hansson caught up and passed her. That made Hansson the overall winner of the cup, earning her 20,000 SEK.

“It feels good, and it’s a fun confirmation that I managed to stay healthy and compete a lot and quite well during the summer,” said Moa Hansson shortly after crossing the finish line.

Were you aware of the duel and how you stood during the race?

“I got time splits on Sömskar from the first lap. When she had a 20-second lead, I was very tired, so I thought it was probably over. But I came back to life on the last lap and got a good draft.”

What are you going to do with the prize money from the weekend?

“I just bought an apartment, so I need to save some money and maybe buy some curtains and such for the apartment,” Hansson said in conclusion.

Ending Her Career

Sunday’s race was the last of Linn Sömskar’s career. She has a total of 511 starts in races with FIS status, making her the Swedish skier with the most races with so-called FIS status. In today’s race, she finished sixth and second overall in the cup. Just over a month ago, she competed in her last World Championships in roller skiing, where she won three gold medals.

Also Read: Sömskar wins at Alpe Cermis

Top 5 Women

1. Maja Dahlqvist, Falun Borlänge SK, 33:51.2 
2. Izabela Marcisz, Poland, +43.3 
3. Elin Henriksson, Skellefteå SK, +56.6 
4. Johanna Hagström, Ulricehamns IF, +1:36.9 
5. Moa Hansson, Falun Borlänge SK, +1:41.3 

Here you can find the complete results

*Article by Maja Eriksson/Leandro Lutz translation.