Four-hour Vasaloppet race decided by 2 seconds

Oskar Svard outkicked fellow Swede Jerry Ahrlin on the final straight to win the Vasaloppet cross-country marathon by two seconds on Sunday.
MORA, Sweden — Oskar Svard outkicked fellow Swede Jerry Ahrlin on the final straight to win the Vasaloppet cross-country marathon by two seconds on Sunday.
    Svard, who also won the world’s oldest, longest and biggest ski race in 2003 and ’05, finished the 90-kilometer (56-mile) classic-style event in 4 hours, 43 minutes, 40 seconds.
    “It was tough going early because of the newly fallen snow, but I had super skis,” Svard said.
    Ahrlin also came second last year by two seconds.
    Jorgen Brink completed the podium sweep for Sweden by finishing third, 25 seconds behind.
    Elin Ek of Sweden won the women’s race in 4:48.29.
    Some 15,000 skiers started the 83rd edition of the race at Salen, near the Norwegian border. For many of them, it would take more than 10 hours to finish the grueling race.
    When Vasaloppet was held for the first time in 1922, all but two of the 119 starters finished the race.
    The course is based on a historic incident from nearly 500 years ago. In 1522, Gustav Vasa attempted to gather peasants for a revolt against the occupying Danes. Vasa fled when he got no support.
    The people of Mora changed their minds and sent their two best skiers to bring Vasa back. They found him near the Norwegian border in Salen. He returned to lead the Swedes to independence, and was later proclaimed King Gustav Vasa. The Vasaloppet follows the same course from Salen to Mora.