Great success in cross-country skiing: Grond reaches the podium for the first time in Lahti

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23-year-old Valerio Grond from Davos stood on a World Cup podium for the first time in his career during the 99th Ski Games in Lahti.

Valerio Grond shines in Finland. He finished qualifying in the morning in 3rd place. Afterwards, he said he had no problems advancing to the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, luck is on his side: as fourth in his semi-finals, he barely makes it to the final. In this tactical race he secured the first podium place by increasing the pace before the final descent. The Norwegian Johannes Kläbo and the Frenchman Lucas Chanavat are running too strong.

In Lahti, Grond managed to achieve something he had narrowly missed several times. He is in the top ten for the eleventh time. In Grond’s fourth final appearance he has now achieved third place for the first time: previously there were two fifth places in Toblach and Oberhof and a fourth place in Goms.

The fact that he managed to reach the podium in Lahti comes as a surprise. Because in the final Grond will have to deal with everything that has a reputation in cross-country sprinting. He was the youngest of the finalists and at the same time the only one in the field of six who had never reached the podium before. At the same time, Grond takes advantage of his last chance this season. Because in the remaining speed flights in the classic technique he is not one of the favorites. (SDA)

Source : Blick