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Vasaloppet 2016 was decided with exciting final spurts in both the men’s and ladies’ class. Norwegian John Kristian Dahl won one of the largest group spurts in Vasaloppet history and took his second victory ahead of his compatriot Stian Hoelgaard. Czech/Austrian Katerina Smutná won the ladies’ class two seconds ahead of Britta Johansson Norgren.

Due to fresh snow in the tracks, this year’s Vasaloppet became a group effort where the elite female skiers stayed ahead with the main leading group for a very long time. After about 38 kilometres of skiing, between Risberg and Evertsberg, Norwegian Kjetil Hagtvedt Dammen and Christoffer Callesen, from Team LeasePlan Go, picked up the pace. In Evertsberg this duo were separated from the group by a lead of almost a minute.

In Oxberg they had increased this lead to 2.07. But Dammen got tired on the way in to the Hökberg checkpoint and Callesen ended up alone in the lead. When he reached the last checkpoint, Eldris, his lead had shrunk to about half a minute. Things happened quickly when the group caught his scent and it was a large company that approached the finish in Mora together, making it one of the largest mass spurts ever seen in Vasaloppet. 29 skiers did battle on the final stretch and the winner from 2014, John Kristian Dahl from Team United Bakeries, turned out to be strongest.
Dahl, who had almost given up hope in Hökberg, played a large part in catching up to Callesen and Dammen.
“Sink or swim, I thought. So I started driving hard but it was difficult to pull the others with me. So I spent a lot of energy there,” says Dahl but in the end Dahl had a clear tactic:

“I defended my position. I had a track to myself for the last four kilometres. It went faster and faster towards the finish. The last 200 metres I used everything I had. I didn’t know that I’d won until after I crossed the finish line. It was a very intense experience.”

Behind the winner came a row of three Norwegians and young Stian Hoelgaard and Anders Mölmen Höst joined Dahl in the top three. World and Olympian Champion from Switzerland, Dario Cologna, took the 5th place.

Smutna strongest woman
Britta Johansson Norgren started strong and in Oxberg she had a lead of 51 seconds over Katerina Smutná from Austria. In Hökberg the distance to Smutná had shrunk to 21 seconds and Lina Korsgren, Team Pioneer Investment – Craft, was also getting closer. Britta had a 14 second lead in Eldris but, with a few kilometres to go, the others caught up and Johansson Norgren, Smutná and Korsgren came up on the final stretch together. Smutná snatched the victory two seconds ahead of Britta and seven seconds ahead of Korsgren.

“I’m very happy. This was my big goal for the season,” said Smutná who lost ground at the start of the race but had a very strong finish. “Everything went perfectly at the end.”

Katerina Smutná is the first Austrian winner in the ladies’ class of Vasaloppet, she was seventh in her first Vasaloppet 2015. 

Find all videos about the start, the race, the finish and everything around here. 

RESULTS Vasaloppet 2016, gents
1 John Kristian Dahl, (NOR) Norway, 4.08.00
2 Stian Hoelgaard, (NOR) Norway, 4.08.01
3 Anders Mölmen Höst, (NOR) Norway, 4.08.02
4 Öyvind Moen Fjeld, (NOR) Norway, 4.08.02
5 Dario Cologna, (SUI) Switzerland, 4.08.02
6 Markus Ottosson, (SWE) Skellefteå SK, 4.08.02
7 Jerry Ahrlin, (SWE) Team Swedemount Sport, 4.08.03
8 Stanislav Rezác, (CZE) Czech Republic, 4.08.03
9 Johan Kjölstad, (NOR) Norway, 4.08.03
10 Oskar Kardin, (SWE) Östersunds SK, 4.08.03

RESULTS Vasaloppet 2016, ladies
1 Katerina Smutná, (AUT) Austria, 4.17.56
2 Britta Johansson Norgren, (SWE) Sollefteå Skidor IF, 4.17.58 
3 Lina Korsgren, (SWE) Åre Längdskidklubb, 4.18.03
4 Seraina Boner, (SUI) Switzerland, 4.20.38
5 Astrid Öyre Slind, (NOR) Norway, 4.20.50
6 Sara Lindborg, (SWE) Östersunds SK, 4.23.58
7 Emilia Lindstedt, (SWE) Falun Borlänge SK, 4.24.58 
8 Masako Ishida, (JPN) Japan, 4.33.24
9 Heli Heiskanen, (FIN) Finland, 4.42.24
10 Kristina Roberto, (SWE) Karlslunds IF SF, 4.44.40

Spurt prize winners 2016, gents
Smågan: Thomas Gifstad, Norway, 32.36
Mångsbodarna: Emil Johansson, IK Jarl, 1.12.07
Risberg: Arne Post, Norway, 1.42.59
Evertsberg: Kjetil Hagtvedt Dammen, Norway, 2.17.54
Oxberg: Christoffer Callesen, Norway, 2.53.27
Hökberg: Christoffer Callesen, Norway, 3.18.36
Eldris: Christoffer Callesen, Norway, 2.53.27
Hökberg: Christoffer Callesen, Norway, 3.45.05

Spurt prize winners 2016, ladies
Smågan: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 33.03
Mångsbodarna: Seraina Boner, Switzerland, 1.12.19
Risberg: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 1.43.36
Evertsberg: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 2.20.19
Oxberg: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 2.57.55
Hökberg: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 3.25.40
Eldris: Britta Johansson Norgren, Sollefteå Skidor IF, 3.53.43

Here are the entire results