The Danish gold medal story
Posted on | August 21, 2016 | Category: WOC news
Left to right: Maja Alm, Tue Lassen, Søren Bobach, Cecilie Klysner
Cecilie Friberg Klysner had a terrible headache and didn’t feel well after the first race of the Nokian Tyres World Championships. And the next race was to be the biggest challenge so far in her life!
Cecilie stepped into the Danish top team this year when Emma Klingenberg decided not to go for more at the top level. “I didn’t really feel I was ready for it”, the 22-year-old Dane says.
She had some experience from big races, but hadn’t at all been at the level of Klingenberg and Alm; now in recent months she has taken big steps forward. “We have been training a lot together in Aarhus and the gap has been much less this year”, Alm says.
Up and down in the Sprint
In the individual Sprint, Cecilie ran a very good qualification race. The she got a big headache. “It disappeared during the Final, but I couldn’t concentrate”, she says.
After the race she didn’t feel well at all, and now, the day after, it was the Sprint Relay. Denmark should defend the gold from the previous year. Cecilie should run the first leg. The young senior from Hillerød really had a big responsibility. “Luckily I slept well from Saturday to Sunday. I don’t know if I was sick or just exhausted the evening before”, she says.
Cecilie fell asleep about nine o’clock and woke up at seven o’clock. In the morning there was no headache, but she didn’t feel she had the strength of her life. “I was nervous, but during the day I felt better and better. I also knew I had three very good team-mates after me. I should just concentrate on my race and run a good race. I didn’t have to do anything extra”.
Just after mass start, Cecilie Klysner on right Photos: Erik Borg
Preparation
Tue Lassen felt very disappointed after the individual race, where he made huge mistakes. Maja Alm was on the other hand very buoyed up after her golden race. Søren Bobach didn’t take part in the individual Sprint at all. “About one month ago it was decided that I shouldn’t run the individual Sprint. It would have been tough with three races in 36 hours, and for me it’s bigger with the Relay and doing something together”.
There were a lot of different feelings on Saturday evening. But on Sunday morning all the power was put together in the same direction. The runners and the coaches met each other in the morning. “The Sprint Relay is something special for us and I knew we could do very well”, head coach Lars Lindstrøm tells.
The golden routes
It ended in the best possible fashion for the Danes. They all ran very well. Cecilie had in fact an enormous pressure on her shoulders, but she focused on her own race and did very well. Then Tue Lassen didn’t make any mistakes either. They were both back in business. “I must admit I really looked for something extra on the map”, Tue says.
Søren also ran well. Going out on the last leg, Sweden was 12 seconds in front. Maja didn’t make mistakes, she went up into the lead and finished with a bit of a smile, arms up in the air and cheering team-mates at the finish line.
“I knew we could do very well, but some-one could have been stronger”, head coach Lindstrøm smiles.
Denmark had won by a good margin. “Last year it was expected we should win. This year it wasn’t that. I am almost more happy this time”, Maja smiles.
They had all run fantastic races: “Danish dynamite”!
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