Imanol Rojo 21st, in the last long-distance test of Beijing 2020

Imanol Red has made a real titanic effort to claim 21st place in its final test at the Beijing Games. The race that was originally going to be 50 kilometers had to be shortened to 30 kilometers and started an hour later than expected due to the strong gusts of wind that hit the National Cross-Country Ski Center in Zhangjiakou today. This has been a decision that has not benefited the man from Tolosa at all since he is more comfortable in long distances, being the 50-kilometre test a fetish race.

“It made me angry because I had been preparing for the race for 4 years. What difference did it make 30 than 50, when you’re in the race it doesn’t matter. By shortening it there will be no less wind or less cold. I would have liked to run the 50 kilometers because I would surely have improved this position” declared Imanol at the end of the test.

As Rojo already warned in the previous interviews, today was going to be a day marked by the wind and one of the keys was to stay protected within the group. During the first kilometers he has more than fulfilled his mission but from kilometer 15 the bulk of the race has been split in two, leaving Imanol in the second group. 17 skiers have escaped and among them were the great favorites: Bolshunov, Holund, Krueger, Manificat or Dario Cologna among others.

The Russians have begun to pull and some competitors have begun to have problems such as the Norwegian ski star, winner of four medals in these Games, Johannes Klaebo, who has been falling off the hook and has finally decided to retire. This shows how tough today’s race has been.

“It was a very tough race, they pushed a lot from the beginning. When they threw the first 15 there was a cut, I tried to enter but I couldn’t. It makes me angry because I felt very well. Afterwards I was comfortable in the second group and we played it against the sprint” stated Imanol.

As he passed through the 16.8 kilometres, Imanol was in 21st place, climbing positions within the second group in which he has been placed. Passing through the 22.3 kilometers he climbed to 19th place (+ 2.07.7) wrapped in a small subgroup with the Italian Salvadori, the Swiss Pralong or the Japanese Baba. At kilometer 23.9km he was in 17th place (+2: 18.2), the best of those achieved during today’s session. During the last five kilometers the Basque Team athlete has endured to finish risking it in the sprint. He has finally entered the finish line in 21st place, with a time of 1: 14: 50.5 (+3: 17.8), improving on the 33rd place obtained in Sochi 2014 and in Pyeongchang 2018.

the russian Alexander Bolshunov He became the great winner of the cross-country skiing events at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The Brazilian Navarrese Manex Salsamendi Silva, For his part, he finished at port 58 with a time of 1:33:11.8 (+21:39.1).

Cross country ski