Nineteen-year-old Jílek did not score in the rated sprints after Saturday’s triumph on the five-kilometer course, but he was in the running for one of the medals until the last meters. In the end, he was 42 hundredths of a second away from the bronze, and just before the finish line he had to avoid an opponent who ended up on the ice in front of him.
“The plan was to wait for the last sprint. I tried to sprint with the best, unfortunately I don’t have the speed yet, I’m losing a little in the corners, but I’m still working on it,” believes Jílek. “In the last straight I wanted to overtake, but two rivals collided in front of me, so I had to go around them to avoid falling,” he recounted.
“I’m at the front of the pack, even though there’s still room for improvement. But overall, the World Cup in Hamar was good for me, I’m excited about it and I’m confirming my form for Milan,” he said, looking ahead to the Winter Olympics.
Six-time world champion Stolz secured his fifth triumph during the weekend in Hamar, before that he dominated the 1000 and 1500 meters as well as both races in the shortest 500 meters. He is fifth in the discipline ranking, leading before the final race is Dutchman Jorrit Bergsma, who finished fourth in Norway.
