Weng Reigns Again on the Legendary Climb
Heidi Weng produced another commanding display on the 7.5-kilometre ascent above Lysefjord on Wednesday, crossing the line in 34 minutes 57 seconds to claim her fifth Lysebotn Opp freestyle title — and her third consecutive — in the opening event of the 2026 Blink Festival. Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs finished 22 seconds behind in second, while Tiril Udnes Weng completed a Norwegian clean sweep of the women's podium, arriving 1 minute 38 seconds back. The result continues a remarkable streak for the 33-year-old, whose previous victories on the climb came in 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021 and now back-to-back since 2023.
The absence of Johannes Høsflot Klæbo — who withdrew from the entire Blink Festival due to illness on the eve of the event — left the men's programme open, and it was Einar Hedegart who seized the moment. The young Norwegian won the men's skating discipline with an impressive margin, with France's Hugo Lapalus posting a top-ten finish to signal early summer form. Full split times for the men's race were not immediately published by the organisers.
Musgrave Makes It Five in the Double-Push
In the classic double-push event — a separate discipline run on the same Lysebotn course — Britain's Andrew Musgrave wrote another chapter in his festival legend. The 35-year-old Scot, who trains out of Norway, took victory for the fifth time in the event, having previously won in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. France's Jérémy Royer was seventh. On the women's side, Astrid Øyre Slind dominated the double-push climb to seal her own winning record at the event, with France's Noëlie Maurin finishing ninth — a solid result for a biathlete on a course that favours pure endurance skiers.
Musgrave's performance is particularly noteworthy given that he competes well beyond the age bracket dominating the field. Speaking after the finish — according to Nordic Mag — the Briton noted the course conditions were fast, which suited his poling technique.
Biathletes Mix It With the Pure Skiers
The Blink Festival traditionally draws biathlon stars eager for summer race miles, and 2026 was no different. Among the biathletes who tackled the freestyle climb, Sweden's Anna-Karin Heijdenberg registered the fastest time, emerging as the top-ranked biathlete in the women's race overall. France's Jeanne Richard was third among the biathlon contingent, a promising early marker ahead of the dedicated biathlon super sprint races scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Sandnes. Julia Simon also competed, finishing in the top 20 of the broader women's field, according to Nordic Mag.
The biathlon names making the trip to Norway in force — despite Jeanmonnot's earlier withdrawal — reflect how seriously the discipline treats Blink as a fitness and visibility opportunity ahead of the competitive season.
What Comes Next at Blink 2026
The festival continues on Thursday with the Blink Classics, a gruelling 50-kilometre double-push roller-ski race through Ålgård for the men (women race 37.5 km), with the start gun scheduled for 18:45 local time. Friday and Saturday then bring the biathlon super sprints and roller-ski mass-start races in Sandnes — the events that typically attract the largest crowds and televised attention of the whole festival week. With Klæbo sidelined, Norway's depth will face its first real test of the summer.