Jørgen Aukland, who also won in 2008 from Tönsberg, Norway, won Vasaloppet 2013 - this was his second win in the race.
Aukland outsprinted Swede Daniel Tynell and his brother Anders Aukland on the finish to win his second Swedish Vasaloppet title in 3 hours and 50.48 minutes (Aukland has also won the Chinese Vasaloppet). Tynell was second, 2 seconds behind and Anders Aukland third, 3 seconds back. Top seeded Jörgen Brink from Delsbo, who's won the race three years in a row, 2010-2012, came in fourth, 7 seconds after the winner.
Jörgen Aukland was the very first Vasaloppet winner to win the race without grip wax. In his victory interview he said:
“I’m madly pleased. I’ve got the worst spurt of us all so I tested by pushing on again and again, and then took up speed towards the finish, but they didn’t come after me, so I won! That I could beat Brink and Tynell in a spurt is really something quite special!”
Also Norwegian Laila Kveli won the women’s race in 04:22.22, ahead of Switzerland’s Seraina Boner and Sweden’s Sandra Hansson. The winning time was the third best ladies winning time ever in Vasaloppet.
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The organizers' preliminary report states that 14,706 of the 15,800 registered entries came to the start for the 89th Vasaloppet. Bengt Eriksson, Sweden, 82 years old and competing for Sälen Skiclub, completed his 6oth Vasalopp today in 08:16:09. His first race was in 1953!
The competition is one of the world's oldest cross-country races and is based on Gustav Vasa's attempt to gather peasants for a revolt against occupying Danes in 1522. Vasa fled after failing to gain support, but the Mora locals changed their minds and sent their best skiers to bring him back. It stretches from the village of Sälen near the Norwegian border to the central town of Mora.
Vasaloppet 2013, men:
1 Jörgen Aukland (NOR) 3.50.48
2 Daniel Tynell (SWE) 3.50.50
3 Anders Aukland (NOR) 3.50.51
4 Jörgen Brink (SWE) 3.50.55
5 Jens Eriksson (SWE) 3.51.05
6 Stanislav Rezác (CZE) 3.51.13
7 John Kristian Dahl (NOR) 3.52.06
8 Johan Kjölstad (NOR) 3.52.07
9 Audun Laugaland (NOR) 3.52.07
10 Thomas Henriksen (NOR) 3.52.27
Vasaloppet 2013, women:
1 Laila Kveli (NOR) 4.22.22
2 Seraina Boner (SUI) 4.23.51
3 Sandra Hansson (SWE) 4.31.51
4 Jenny Hansson (SWE) 4.35.46
5 Susanne Nyström, (SWE) 4.37.56
6 Britta Johansson Norgren (SWE) 4.39.25
7 Stephanie Santer (ITA) 4.45.31
8 Olga Michailova (RUS) 4.47.59
9 Annika Löfström (SWE) 4.48.16
10 Nina Lintzén (SWE) 4.48.56
For more info, see Vasaloppet The Swedish 56-mile race was at one point suggested as new National Day buy a Swedish journalist Vasaloppet, a better national holiday?
