Sprint competition

Para cross-country skiing men & women from 12.20 p.m. LIVE

Carina Edlinger and her guide Jakob Kainz won gold in the women's para-cross-country skiing event.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Carina Edlinger and her guide Jakob Kainz won gold in the women's para cross-country skiing event. The Austrian, who was loudly celebrated by the numerous fans in Trondheim, has thus defended her title.

Carina Edlinger from Salzburg has won gold in the para-cross-country sprint at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim. The defending champion was once again unbeatable on Wednesday in the visually impaired class with her guide Jakob Kainz. This is the first time that para-cross-country competitions have been held as part of a FIS World Championships at the title fights in Norway, and the spectator turnout was great on Wednesday despite the persistently bad weather.

"It was really fantastic to run in front of these fans. The title is very special because a win in Norway was still missing from my list and I finally managed it. The conditions were difficult, so it's all the better that we won," said Edlinger and thanked "many angels in the background" who helped her.

Stefan Egger-Riedmüller(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The inclusion of the para-sprints in the Nordic World Championships means a lot to the 26-year-old. "The World Championships together with non-para cross-country skiers is a step in the right direction. It's important for the future that it's a joint event and that we can show that we all exist together," said Edlinger, who also won gold in the sprint at the 2022 Paralympics. Her teammate Stefan Egger-Riedmüller came tenth in the standing class. "That makes me happy and a little bit proud, it can go on like this. You can achieve a lot in life with ambition and determination," said Egger-Riedmüller.