Tallinn World Cup – Men’s Freestyle Sprint – Preview

On Tuesday, March 21, cross-country skiers from around the world will gather in Tallinn for the men’s sprint freestyle event. As always, all eyes will be on Norwegian superstar Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who has been nothing short of dominant this season.

Klæbo has won an incredible 17 individual World Cup events this season, which is the most by a man in a single season. If he manages to win the remaining three events, he will equal the record set by any cross-country skier in a single season: Therese Johaug’s 20 victories in 2019/20. Klæbo’s success this season has put him in a strong position to win his fourth overall crystal globe, which would place him alongside the likes of Bjørn Dæhlie, Gunde Svan, and Dario Cologna as one of the few men to have won the trophy at least four times.

Klæbo is also looking to claim his fifth sprint crystal globe, which would extend his record as the only cross-country skier to have won the trophy four times. He has already won an impressive 38 individual sprint World Cup events, and with two sprints remaining in the season, he has the chance to equal Marit Bjørgen’s record of 40 individual World Cup sprint victories.

While Klæbo is undoubtedly the favorite heading into the event, there are several other contenders who could challenge him for the podium. Italian skier Federico Pellegrino is the only man besides Klæbo to have won an individual freestyle World Cup sprint event this season, which he did in Davos back in December. Pellegrino has won a total of 17 individual sprint World Cup events, with 16 of those wins coming in freestyle.

Norwegian skier Erik Valnes has also been performing well recently, finishing second in the last two individual sprint events. If he manages to claim another podium finish in Tallinn, he will achieve three successive podium finishes in sprint events for the first time. Valnes’ only individual World Cup win to date was in a sprint classic style event in Ruka back in November 2020.

French skier Richard Jouve is another contender to watch out for, having won the individual World Cup sprint event in Falun last season when Klæbo was absent. Jouve is the only man other than Klæbo to have won multiple individual World Cup sprint events this season, with two victories to his name. All four of Jouve’s individual sprint World Cup victories have been in classic style events.

Finally, Lucas Chanavat from France will be hoping to make an impact in Tallinn. He has only managed one individual World Cup podium finish this season, which came in the freestyle sprint in Davos on December 17. However, he achieved a personal best of five podium finishes in 2021/22, and could well be a dark horse in the competition.

It is worth noting that Tallinn will be hosting a cross-country World Cup for the first time, which adds an extra element of excitement to the event. While there have been 10 men’s individual sprint World Cup events held in Estonia in the past, all of them have taken place in Otepää. Klæbo won the last two events in Estonia, in 2017 and 2019, making him the only man to have claimed multiple sprint wins.

Tuesday, March 21: Sprint F (Find more details here)

• 16:00 CET: Sprint F Qualification, Women
• 16:35 CET: Sprint F Qualification, Men
• 18:30 CET: Sprint F Final, Women
• 18:57 CET: Sprint F Final, Men

START LIST MEN

See below the complete program with facts, start lists, and results for the World Cup in Tallinn.

FACTS Tallinn World Cup Season 2022/2023

• When: Tuesday, March 21
• Who: Elite national skiers
• Where: Tallinn, Estonia
• What: FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia

PROGRAM

Tuesday, March 21: Sprint F (Find more details here)

• 16:00 CET: Sprint F Qualification, Women
• 16:35 CET: Sprint F Qualification, Men
• 18:30 CET: Sprint F Final, Women
• 18:57 CET: Sprint F Final, Men

New this season is the same race distances for women and men in all World Cup events, as the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) decided in May. Several other changes have also been introduced to the World Cup.

Read More: Cross-Country Skiing Changes And World Cup Calendar For The 2022/2023 Season

Also Read: New Distances At The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup