Former biathlete Einar Hedegart wins the 10 km skate in Trondheim

Norwegian Einar Hedegart, who was still competing in biathlon during the 2023–24 season, claimed a breakthrough victory in the men’s 10 km freestyle (skate) at Trondheim. In only his fourth World Cup start in cross‑country skiing, Hedegart won by 0.4 seconds over compatriot Andreas Ree, with Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget 10.1 seconds back in third.

Norway dominated their home weekend in Trondheim: they swept the men’s podiums across events, conceding just one podium place to Sweden’s Alvar Myhlback (3rd in the sprint). After a double on the sprint, an eight‑man sweep in the skiathlon, the Norwegians produced a seven‑man sweep in Sunday’s 10 km freestyle.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, victorious in both the sprint and the skiathlon earlier in the weekend, finished 7th in the 10 km.

Hedegart’s rapid rise strengthens his case for Olympic team selection in a highly competitive Norwegian squad. He had already posted two World Cup runner‑up finishes—last weekend’s mass start in Ruka and the late‑season 10 km skate in Oslo—signaling his successful switch from biathlon to cross‑country.

A former junior world medalist in biathlon, Hedegart raced two IBU World Cup events in 2022–23 (28th in the Oslo sprint, 40th in the pursuit) and only one IBU Cup start in 2024, where five penalties left him far from the leaders. Since putting the rifle aside, he has showcased strong skating form and seized his first World Cup win in Trondheim.

On the French side, Jules Lapierre was the top finisher in 21st place (+54.9), followed by Victor Lovera (25th, +58.5) and Mathis Desloges (30th, +1:02.2).