Norwegian musher wins 2018 Iditarod

WASILLA — Since finishing as the top rookie in 2013, Joar Leifseth Ulsom has been one of the top young mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Now the 31-year-old Norwegian can claim Iditarod gold.

Ulsom passed underneath Nome’s famed burled arch just after 3 a.m. Wednesday morning to win the 2018 Iditiard.

This is the sixth straight top-7 finish for the native of Mo I Rana, Norway. Ulsom notched his second fourth-place finish last year. He was also sixth in 2015 and 2016. Ulsom entered the 2018 race with more than $200,000 of total winnings in the Iditarod.

After dropping two dogs during his mandatory eight-hour layover in White Mountain, Ulsom hit the final checkpoint at Safety at 11:53 p.m. Tuesday. Ulsom needed just less than eight hours to make the 55-mile trek to Safety. He also left two dogs in White Mountain after the 46-mile trip from Elim. Ulsom has averaged between 6.09 and 6.93 mph since leaving Koyuk on Monday.

Read more: http://www.frontiersman.com/sports/norwegian-musher-wins-iditarod/article_ab4fc23c-2777-11e8-8c6a-83b98b11c943.html