Unstoppable in Sandnes
Astrid Øyre Slind has made the Blink Classics her personal domain. The Oppdal IL skier crossed the line first in Sandnes on Thursday for the fourth consecutive year, clocking 1:36:45.3 over the 37.5-kilometre classic roller-ski course and extending her unbeaten run at the event to a level no other competitor has approached. Lotta Udnes Weng (NOR) finished second, two minutes and nine seconds adrift, while Sweden's Stina Nilsson — racing for Team Ragde Charge — completed the podium in third, barely a second behind Weng. France's Noëlie Maurin (Team BSV IBEX) delivered a solid performance to finish inside the top 20.
The Blink Festival, spanning Lysebotn and Sandnes in south-west Norway, is the calendar's premier summer gathering for the Nordic skiing and biathlon communities. Thursday's long-distance race drew a competitive international field, and Øyre Slind dispatched it with characteristic composure — going clear in the middle kilometres and arriving at the finish with a margin that left no room for doubt.
Four in a Row — and Still in Control
Øyre Slind's Blink Classics dominance is now historic. The 37-year-old had already won the women's skating division at Wednesday's Lysebotn Opp hill climb, giving her two victories in consecutive days during the festival's opening phase. On Thursday she showed no sign of fatigue, building her lead progressively and rendering the contest effectively over long before the finish line arrived.
Weng's runner-up showing was itself notable. The five-time Lysebotn Opp champion had won the freestyle uphill the previous day, and back-to-back podium appearances in two different disciplines underscore the depth and sharpness of the Norwegian women's squad as the 2026-27 season approaches. Nilsson's third place added an international flavour to a podium that might otherwise have been entirely Norwegian.
Myhlback Goes Solo for a Second Straight Men's Title
In the men's 50-kilometre race, Alvar Myhlback of Sweden's Lager 157 team produced the performance of a defending champion. The young Swede broke clear of the leading group in the second half of the race, built a gap that proved decisive, and crossed the line in 2:02:14.5 — a commanding solo effort over one of the most demanding roller-ski courses on the summer calendar. Amund Hoel (Team Engcon) took silver 18.8 seconds later, with Mikael Gunnulfsen (Team Ragde Charge) completing a Norwegian home double at third, just 0.2 seconds further back.
Jules Chappaz of France finished tenth after a strong push through the closing kilometres, narrowly missing the top-nine group that had separated from the main field. Myhlback's capacity to win alone, away from home, against a Norwegian contingent energised by festival crowds, gives his back-to-back Blink Classics titles considerable weight as a measure of his progress on the international scene.
Biathlon Day Arrives Friday
The festival's focus shifts to Sandnes city centre on Friday for the biathlon programme. Supersprint qualifying is set for 17:10 CEST, with the finals at 19:35 CEST. France hold four wildcard direct entries to the final — Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Océane Michelon, and Éric Perrot — alongside additional starters including Lisa Thévenard and Ismaël Croizier. Norwegian fans will see Sturla Holm Lægreid, who has been observed testing a new rifle during the festival inspired by Martin Uldal's setup, compete alongside Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, and Uldal himself. Mass-start roller-ski races close the event on Saturday, 8 August.