Caldwell, Versen win 1st World Cups at Tour de Ski
OBERSTDORF, Germany (AP) Sophie Caldwell of the United States won the women's 1.2-kilometer sprint in the Tour de Ski for her first World Cup victory on Tuesday.
Caldwell finished in 2 minutes 46.38 seconds to edge Norway's Heidi Weng and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg by 0.10 and 0.80 seconds, respectively.
''It was a perfect day,'' said Caldwell, only the second American female to win a World Cup. ''My one goal for the final was go behind Ingvild and try to follow as far as I could. I was focused on the downhill where I knew my strength was.''
Sweden's Ida Ingemarsdotter was fourth, followed by Norway's Therese Johaug.
After four of eight races in the Tour de Ski, Oestberg leads with Johaug 30.1 seconds behind. Weng trails by 2:16.3.
Norway's Emil Iversen also claimed his first World Cup victory, winning the men's sprint in 2:25.21, and beating Russia's Sergey Ustiugov by 1.03 and Kazakhstan's Alexey Poltoranin by 1.40.
''I am really surprised to be first,'' Iversen said. ''Ustiugov set the speed after the start and I tried to keep up. I was first on the top and I thought I could go for podium. I chose a good line in the downhill and to the finish. But I am still very much surprised to win.''
Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway was fourth, but maintains his Tour de Ski lead by 1:33.6 over compatriot Petter Northug Jr., who was fifth.