Title: 1) Beatrici Lorenza (Atl
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Last saved by: Elena
Company: Microsoft

Press Release of 28 February 2013 

GOLD RELAY FOR NORWAY IN VAL DI FIEMME
FRENZEL IS THE “KAISER” OF NORDIC COMBINED

Vikings dominate at the 4x5 Km Ladies Relay 
Eric Frenzel is the new Nordic Combined World Champion 
Tomorrow the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) President will visit the Championships

Another exciting day at the Nordic World Ski Championships Fiemme 2013. In the Nordic Combined race and in the Ladies Relay the excitement of the supporters in both the stadiums was felt all over the valley.
The day started with the HS134 ski jumping race, the first part of the Nordic Combined, which ended with the 10 km cross-country race. In the ski jumping the new World Champion Eric Frenzel, the “Kaiser aus Deutschland”, made a magnificent jump setting a new record of 138,5m.
He dominated the whole cross-country race cheered on by crowds of people in Lago di Tesero, crossing the finish line with a bow, probably to himself, the king of NC. Behind him the Austrian Bernhard Gruber won the silver medal with a 36”7, and the French Jason Lamy Chappuis, the favourite for this event, got the bronze medal recovering from the 10^th after the jump. 

The Norwegian team, the favourite number one in Ladies 4x5km relay, was an example for everyone present. Sweden and Russia, in the silver medal and bronze medal positions, weren’t able to take the lead in the race. The ‘Viking’ Heidi Weng, on the first lap, is the only ‘Team Norge’ athlete with light brown eyes. She started the World Championships relay with a precise and determined attack, which immediately revealed who would be the winner. Therese Johaug tried to maintain the gap previously gained by Weng. But the winner of the second leg was another strong athlete, Justyna Kowalczyk (the ‘queen’ of the Tour de ski) who didn’t want to be left out. She hasn’t won any medal yet, but she is more motivated than ever and won convincingly the second leg. The relay is a team race and if all of the athletes are not up to the highest standard then hoping is worthless. Norway then took back control of the lead of the race thanks to Kristin Steira, who was flying over the snow. “When Justyna reached Therese I thought that at least I didn't have to run the race alone” Kristin Steira said. Behind her, Sweden and Finland were fighting for medals. The last leg was taken by “her majesty” Marit Bjoergen (with today's victory she is the athlete with the most medals at the Championships and she said smiling “when I get home and I have calmed down I will count my medals”) and in less than 15 minutes she drove the crowds crazy. The Stadium was tinged with red and blue and Norway was well represented on the stands. While Sweden (with Ida Ingemarsdotter, Emma Wiken, Anna Haag and Charlotte Kalla) was able to keep up with Norway and maintain second place, Finland fell behind, leaving the third place to Russia and the highly motivated Yulia Tchekaleva (and with her Julia Ivanova, Alija Iksanova, Mariya Guschina). She dedicated her medal to her son Matvej: “it was hard, maybe we didn't expect a medal but we were confident the whole time, classic technique included. As I saw Sarasoja I had a strong rhythm and I thought I could do it”. And that's how it worked out.
Tomorrow at 10.30pm the new CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) President Giovanni Malagò will arrive at the Main Media Center and he will attend the 4x10km Men's relay. Let's hope that his presence will bring good luck to the Italian team, who will certainly try to do their best for Italy.
Info: www.fiemme2013.com

4x5 km Ladies Relay

1 NORWAY 1:00:36.5 (WENG Heidi JOHAUG Therese, STEIRA Kristin Stoermer, BJOERGEN Marit); 2 SWEDEN 1:01:02.7 (INGEMARSDOTTER Ida, WIKEN Emma, HAAG Anna, KALLA Charlotte), 3 RUSSIA 1:01:22.38 (IVANOVA Julia, IKSANOVA Alija, GUSCHINA Mariya, TCHEKALEVA Yulia); 4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1:01:48.9 (BJORNSEN Sadie, RANDALL Kikkan, STEPHEN Elizabeth, DIGGINS Jessica); 5 FINLAND 1:02:00.3 (KYLLOENEN Anne, NISKANEN Kerttu, ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa, SARASOJA-LILJA Riikka); 6 FRANCE 1:02:30.2 (JEAN Aurore, AYMONIER Celia, FAIVRE PICON Anouk, HUGUE Coraline); 7 GERMANY 1:02:44.3 (FESSEL Nicole, ZELLER Katrin, HERRMANN Denise, GOESSNER Miriam); 8 ITALY 1:03:32.6 (SCARDONI Lucia, DE MARTIN TOPRANIN Virginia, AGREITER Debora, PILLER Marina); 9 POLAND 1:04:11.5 (KUBINSKA Kornelia, KOWALCZYK Justyna, MACIUSZEK Paulina, SZYMANCZAK Agnieszka); 10 UKRAINE 1:04:33.0 (ANTYPENKO Tetyana, SHEVCHENKO Valentina, ANTSYBOR Maryna, GRYGORENKO Kateryna) 

NC Individual Gundersen
1 FRENZEL Eric GER 27:22.8; 2 GRUBER Bernhard AUT +36.7; 3 LAMY CHAPPUIS Jason FRA +37.2; 4 WATABE Akito JPN +38.4; 5 NAGAI Hideaki JPN +42.3; 6 DENIFL Wilhelm AUT +47.7; 7 LACROIX Sebastien FRA +50.8; 8 MOAN Magnus H. NOR +57.7; 9 KLEMETSEN Haavard NOR +58.2; 10 RYDZEK Johannes GER +1:07.7