Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, took the first Swedish men’s victory in Vasaloppet since 2012. Petter Northug, Team Northug Crucible, believes that was crucial for the sport.

“This is Emil’s best season ever. He has looked incredibly strong all season long. It’s simply impressive,” says Petter Northug after finishing Vasaloppet on Sunday morning.

Again, Emil Persson showed great strength when sprinting past four Norwegian Pro Tour athletes on the finish line in Mora. With the result, the Lager 157 Ski Team athlete took his ninth out of ten possible individual wins in the Ski Classics this season. 

The Pro Tour athlete and cross-country skiing expert on TV2, Petter Northug, has only positive words to say about Persson after the victory.

“It is certainly well deserved when we have seen Emil in Ski Classics this season. Emil has been incredibly strong, and I think Nygaard had one plan this year when struggling with illness, and that was to win Vasaloppet.”

A Role Model

Northug also points out that Persson’s season could affect the sport as a whole.

“For younger athletes, I think he is a role model. He has shown that a Swedish long-distance skier can beat many Norwegian long-distance skiers. Since Vasaloppet is so big in Sweden, I think it’s good that there was a Swedish victory here today (yesterday),” Northug says.

Should more World Cup-level men have focused on long-distance skiing in Sweden, such as Jens Burmann?

“I do not think so. Jens Burmann does not have the body to go long-distance skiing. He is more of a traditional skier.”

This Year’s Big Goal

Before the season, Northug admitted that his big goal this year was to win Vasaloppet. Yesterday, it was different from what he was expecting, and Northug finished in the 48th position, about ten seconds behind Emil Persson.

Read more about Petter Northug’s goals before the season: Petter Northug Ready For Comeback

Vasaloppet 2023 – Top 3 Men 

1.  Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, 3:37.43,3
2.  Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, +0.3
3.  Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, +1.0

Vasaloppet results can be found HERE.

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

• Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.

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