Wang Qiang spread his hands in the air in front of the NRK camera a few seconds after finishing and raised three fingers:

– Third place!

The Chinese sensation delighted after beating Even Northug in the sprint in the battle for the final podium during the classic sprint at Top Sports Week. She has translators everywhere she goes, but her English is constantly improving.

– I have faith in myself, Wang told NRK.

– Now I focus on training. I think I’ll be better off in the winter. “Over the next three months, I will focus on training with my team,” said Wang, who toured with physiotherapists and interpreters, in addition to his Norwegian coach.

Roses by competitors

– He’s very dangerous. I had a session with him earlier this summer and. He was nice, and I thought that was really funny, Even Northug told NRK.

The Strindheim runner was only a few centimeters behind Qiang Wang across the finish line in Aure, and ended up in a dismal 4th place. Although the Chinese player had limited experience in roller ski competitions, he showed himself early on. He had the second best time in the prologue and blew his field in the quarter-finals.

– He is very good technically and has very good pace. Not many Chinese ski fast. So you’re a little surprised, but it’s just fun to see what they’ve accomplished with him, says Northug.

Erik Valnes won the classic sprint at Top Sports Week after the monster sprint up the last hill. Pål Trøan Aune couldn’t reach forward with his feet, but ended up in 2nd place ahead of his training partner Wang.

– He is very strong and he said it a few days ago: “We are going to the final, then I will lead and you survive”. And that’s it, Aune smiled at NRK.

– He has some really good x-factors.

– What’s the x-factor?

– He can run from the start. Today he got 20 meters in 50 meters in the corner. He can do different things all the time and today it worked really well. He’s starting to look scary, Aune said.

Coach: – Pain is non existent

Wang’s coach from Norway, Lars Christian Aabol, believes that China has a unique ability to absorb learning. As well as weapons that make it extra dangerous when dragged towards the finish line:

– The speed. He’s very fast. It would be nice to see those muscle fibers under a microscope.

Aabol also highlights other qualities that make it so easy to work with:

– It is a desire to stand up. Pain does not exist. It gives gas anyway. My job is to slow down, try to be a little calm and be smart in training.

Working towards the toilet

Nearly three months before winter knocks on the door, Wang is clear that the WC at Planica is the big goal this season. The Chinese tennis player failed when competing in the Olympics at home this winter. He was the leading medal hope on the ski track and opened strongly with the fifth fastest time.

But he fought so much more when he went shoulder to shoulder with the competition. A wild maneuver – which ruined the race for Pål Golberg – ensured that Wang was disqualified from the freestyle sprint at the Olympics. He’s heartbroken.

He had some sort of recovery towards the end of the season. First he made it to the final in Lahti in the first competition after the Olympics. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won in familiar style, while Wang finished as the system man.

NRK expert:- He’s a bit unfinished

When Russia was banned and most of the Norwegian national team dropped out sick five days later, Wang was completely shocked. France’s Richard Jouve takes the win at Drammen. The Chinese followed the closest.

Now NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn believes he can take a step all the way to the top:

– He is a very interesting runner with the potential to fight for victory in this winter’s World Cup sprint race. He has tremendous speed potential, and also has a great touch on skis, so he does well at least on skis as well as on roller skis.

Bjørn also shows what it takes to win a race:

– He’s a bit unfinished when it comes to getting on the pitch, and still lacks experience running against the best in the world on the pitch. He had something to gain there.

PS! Maja Dahlqvist won the women’s sprint at Toppidrettsveka. He defeated Ane Appelkvist Stenseth and Lotta Udnes Weng. On Saturday at 17.00, NRK 1 performed the women’s 10km and 15km men’s free technique from Granåsen. At 19.00 began hunting sent.