Estonian cross-country skiers wrapped up the World Cup season in Lake Placid, USA, on Sunday with a 20 km mass start freestyle race. Alvar Johannes Alev competed among 82 skiers and finished in 33rd place, trailing the winner, Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, by a significant margin of 2 minutes and 21.9 seconds. Although Alev acknowledged that he improved throughout the race, he expressed disappointment that his final result did not meet his expectations.

Alev described the race as challenging, especially at the start when a fast pace was set, which he found difficult to keep up with. After the first two laps, he noted an improvement in his performance, culminating in a strong finish on the final lap. He reflected that had the race been longer, his performance might have been better as he began to find his rhythm, but by that point, the race was already nearly over.

Despite the backhanded compliment to his own potential, Alev's comment highlights the competitive nature of the event, particularly with the Norwegian athletes claiming the first five places in the standings. The domination of Norway in the sport was evident, as Klæbo was followed closely by his compatriots, each finishing just seconds apart. For Alev, the end of the season represents both a closure and a point for reflection on his performance and aspirations for improvement in the upcoming seasons.