Up Close And Personal With John Kristian Dahl, Part 1

Up Close And Personal With John Kristian Dahl, Part 1

Leaders, Newsfeed
When you first meet John Kristian Dahl, it is a little hard to fathom how this guy keeps on winning. Andreas Nygaard and Stian Hoelgaard are very athletic, Petter Eliassen and Jorgen Aukland are tall and lanky. Dahl, in his jeans, hoodie, and comfortable slippers looks just like any other guy at your friendly local gym. Sure, fit and trim, but not imposing, not dominating... ...Only when talking to him do you notice his piercing blue eyes, his deep, confident, husky baritone voice befitting a Viking ship captain – then, slowly, you start-comprehending why Dahl keeps on winning the most prestigious races in cross country skiing, year after year. The secret appears to be his fierce determination and uncanny ability to push himself over the limit at the last stretch,…
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Andreas Nygaard, World’s Most Unusual Marathon Winner

Andreas Nygaard, World’s Most Unusual Marathon Winner

Leaders, Newsfeed
If you ever wanted proof that today's cross country skiing is not your dad's skiing – look no further than the towering figure of Andreas Nygaard. This 26-year-old Norwegian made a bit of history this month – making redundant a lot of preconceived notions about skiing. Standing at an impressive 1.93cm (6 ft 3 in) and weighing in at 92kg (205 lb), Nygaard hardly looks like a marathoner - yet it was him who was the first to cross the finish line at the most challenging skiing marathon of them all – the Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet. It took Nygaard a whopping 11 hours, 45 minutes and 07 seconds to ski 220 km through Arctic wilderness , beating the other 240 participants from 15 nations at Jokkmokk, Sweden, that lies beyond…
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