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Sophia Laukli of Yarmouth celebrates on the podium after taking third place in the 10-kilometer mass start race Sunday at the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Alessandro Trovati/Associated Press
Sophia Laukli of Yarmouth earned her first career podium finish in World Cup cross-country skiing on Sunday by finishing third in the grueling final stage of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Laukli, 22, steadily climbed through the field during the later portions of the 10-kilometer course that features an ascent of Alpe Cermis, an Alpine ski resort. She finished with a time of 37 minutes, 11.1 seconds – 37 seconds behind winner Delphine Claudel of France.
“This result is really motivating and it’s so fun to end the Tour on this race. Today topped it all off for sure and I’ll savor this feeling forever!” Laukli said in a postrace interview, according to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
Laukli’s previous best World Cup finish was fifth in the same race last January. With her third-place finish Sunday, Laukli was ahead of her more heralded teammates, Jessie Diggins (fifth) and Rosie Brennan (sixth).
The Tour de Ski is a seven-stage event that includes two sprint races and five distance races. Laukli finished 23rd in the overall standings. Frida Karlsson of Sweden was the overall champion despite placing 15th in the final stage.
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