Klæbo was in a class of his own and won ahead of Erik Valnes and French Richard Jouve. Ansgar Evensen, Lars Agnar Hjelmeset and Even Northug then followed.
Five of the six finalists were Norwegian.
– It is one of the wildest things we have seen in a sprint, said NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn.
Of the twelve runners who qualified for the semi-finals, eight were Norwegian. World Cup debutant Mats Opsal was among those who had to look knocked out.
– Last year I almost didn’t ski, and this year I’m going to the World Cup. It’s almost impossible to believe. If I get to train as I have been doing now for the next two or three years, you should not ignore the fact that I will win Olympic gold in 2026, Friskusen told NRK.
Pål Golberg and Pål Trøan Aune were also eliminated. Golberg thus lost a few more points to Klæbo in the duel for the overall World Cup.
– Is there a duel, then? It’s not that, but I go as fast as I can, and at least I’m better than the rest, said Golberg.
For Sindre Bjørnestad Skar and Sivert Wiig it was bang and fall in the quarter-finals. They both smoked out after getting over it. Several foreign runners also suffered the same fate. There was also an exit for Harald Astrup Arnesen.
Harald Østberg Amundsen was the only Norwegian who failed to make the top 30 in the prologue. Thus, his day was over before the knockout rounds started.
67 men’s runners took part in the prologue in Drammen.
[ Klæbo raskest på prologen i Drammen – fiasko for Pellegrino ]