After having her World Championship dream and the entire previous season ruined by injuries, the 30-year-old from Norway is back on top with another international victory.

Norwegian Pro Team star Magni Smedås won Sunday’s 20km classic at the French Roller Ski Championships in Autrans, ahead of France’s rising star Léonie Perry and Hanna Fine.

“It was a lot of fun. But it was 20 kilometers of completely flat double poling, so it felt like going hard on a SkiErg for an hour,” she told Langrenn.com after the win.

A tough day at work

Smedås described it as a grueling race:

“Kati (Roivas) and I had planned to get to the front early to control the pace and stay out of trouble. It got a bit chaotic and stressful in the pack when we moved up to set the tempo. I took the lead and pulled for the first four kilometers, but unfortunately, Kati had a bad day and dropped off.”

When Roivas fell behind, Smedås was joined by two strong French skiers. The trio quickly created a gap after the first lap and led the field by over a minute after the second. However, within the group, the battle for podium positions intensified.

“I had two others who helped a bit. I tried to push the pace a few times, but didn’t have enough power. They were strong. With 2km to go, Léonie Perry slowed down a bit at the front, so I pulled out to the side and sprinted as hard as I could into the headwind. I got a gap right away, but they closed in again. I was completely exhausted after 20 seconds of sprinting, so the last 1800 meters were long – bad technique and gasping for air – but I just managed to hold them off.”

The national championship gold, however, went to France’s new sensation Léonie Perry, who was second in the race. Hanna Fine secured the final podium spot.

From nightmare season to comeback success

Smedås, originally from Dalsbygda, Norway, and a third cousin of Therese Johaug, had planned a double focus for the 2024/2025 season, with her main goal being to earn a spot on Norway’s team for the World Championships on home snow in Trondheim.

However, by January, she had already had to accept that the plan was over. After several bouts of illness, she was forced to pull the emergency brake. That meant missing the Norwegian Championships in Gåsbu, which would have been her last chance to qualify for the World Championships. The rest of the season was also lost — the two Ski Classics races at the December season opener were the only competitions she managed to start.

It wasn’t until this summer that Smedås began to feel her form returning.

At the end of August, she won the prestigious Ski Classics Challengers event Alliansloppet — a 48km roller ski race in Trollhättan, Sweden — featuring much of the world’s elite and counting as part of the Roller Ski World Cup.

Now, she continues her comeback with another significant victory in the French national championships.

Also Read: Magni Smedås wins Alliansloppet 2025

Top 3 Women – 20km Classic Mass Start

1. Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus/Norway, 53:58.9
2. Léonie Perry, France, +10.8
3. Hanna Fine, Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino Team/France, +24.3

Men’s Race

In the men’s 30km mass start, France’s new rising star Mathis Desloges took the win, beating Théo Schely by 4.6 seconds. Jules Chappaz secured bronze in the final race of the championships.

Top 3 Men – 30km Mass Start

1. Mathis Desloges, France, 1:18:27.4
2. Théo Schely, France, +4.6
3. Jules Chappaz, France, +6.3

Complete results can be found HERE

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