Curious: Austrian cross-country skier gets lost and loses medal

The blackout took around a minute, and Stadlober only finished ninth (+4:14,1 mins). After her eighth gold medal, Björgen became the most successful winter Olympian.

Stadlober had high hopes for her favorite competition. She believed she had her best chance at the longest distance, in the preferred classic technique and with a mass start, after coming seventh in the skiathlon and ninth in the 10 km skating.

The race started perfectly. The skis were perfectly prepared and when Björgen pulled away from her rivals after just a third of the distance, the 25-year-old from Radstadt formed the chasing group together with Charlotte Kalla, Krista Pärmäkoski, who later placed second, and Kerttu Niskanen (both Finland). Kalla fell back after changing skis and Stadlober increased the pace at the front of the pursuers.

“I’ve been here for three weeks now, even if I don’t know the route…” Suddenly she found herself completely alone, the pursuers seemed to have been shaken off. Stadlober looked back in disbelief - and realized her mistake a little later. The additional loop to get back on the right course took a lot of time and the possible medal was out of reach. “I've been there for three weeks now and I don't know the route…” said the current World Cup fifth place angrily. “I felt so good. When the Finns slowed down, I believed that a medal was possible,” explained the athlete, who was trained by her father Alois. She knew what a great opportunity she had missed. “It’s bitter that this happens on a day like this when everything would have fallen into place.”

The 37-year-old Björgen ran a lonely race at the front from kilometer 10 onwards. After her recent success, she has eight gold, four silver and three bronze medals and is now the most successful winter Olympian ahead of biathlete Ole Einar Björndalen (8-4-1).

Pärmäkoski, who had been running together with Stadlober for a long time, saved second place to the finish (+1:49,5 min.). It was her third medal in South Korea after bronze in the skiathlon and 10 km skating. The Swede Stina Nilsson (1:58,9), who stormed forward with Ingvild Flugstad Östberg in the final third, secured bronze in the sprint.

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Curious: Austrian cross-country skier gets lost and loses medal

Teresa Stadlober seemed to be on her way to a medal - only the confident Marit Björgen was ahead of her. But around nine kilometers before the finish of the Olympic 30 km race in Pyeongchang, the Salzburg woman took a wrong turn.

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