EXTREME Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet ski race sees 131 athletes complete 220km.
Swedes Klas Nilsson and Frida Hallquist came out on top in the world's longest ski race at 2021's Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet in Jokkmokk as 131 out of the original 135 athletes finished. Here is all you need to know:
- The extreme race - dating back to 1884 - has in modern times only seen Norwegian winners in the men's class, but Nilsson from Skellefteå prevailed after he sprinted down Czech Jiří Pliska over the very last metres.
-The race covers 220km through Arctic wilderness and across the beautiful scenery of Lappland. It is not only the longest cross country ski race in the world but also the toughest.
-During the race, the participants travelled a distance equal to the one between Amsterdam and Brussels, or 5,2 times a marathon.
- Nilsson, 35, revealed: "This feels so good. It was terribly tiring. I did the race four years ago, but couldn't remember it this hard. After 120 km I decided that I would try to push even harder. However, we did not get any gap so after 130 km I was completely exhausted but somehow put myself together again."
- Åsarna's Hallquist, who was victorious in her first attempt at the ultra race, said: "My sister calls it a 30-year crisis, but I like challenges. It's great to win here. This is something completely different from traditional ski competitions."
Swedes Klas Nilsson and Frida Hallquist came out on top in the world's longest ski race at 2021's Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet in Jokkmokk as 131 out of the original 135 athletes finished. Here is all you need to know:
- The extreme race - dating back to 1884 - has in modern times only seen Norwegian winners in the men's class, but Nilsson from Skellefteå prevailed after he sprinted down Czech Jiří Pliska over the very last metres.
-The race covers 220km through Arctic wilderness and across the beautiful scenery of Lappland. It is not only the longest cross country ski race in the world but also the toughest.
-During the race, the participants travelled a distance equal to the one between Amsterdam and Brussels, or 5,2 times a marathon.
- Nilsson, 35, revealed: "This feels so good. It was terribly tiring. I did the race four years ago, but couldn't remember it this hard. After 120 km I decided that I would try to push even harder. However, we did not get any gap so after 130 km I was completely exhausted but somehow put myself together again."
- Åsarna's Hallquist, who was victorious in her first attempt at the ultra race, said: "My sister calls it a 30-year crisis, but I like challenges. It's great to win here. This is something completely different from traditional ski competitions."
