Cross Country Skiing
Tour de Ski: Lars Heggen rebuked by experts and coach — fires back after breakthrough podium
December 28, 2025 / NRK Sport
Norway’s 20-year-old Lars Heggen earned his first World Cup podium in the Tour de Ski sprint opener in Toblach, finishing second behind Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and ahead of Oskar Opstad Vike. Despite praise, Heggen was criticized by NRK experts and sprint coach Arild Monsen for easing up before the finish in his quarterfinal; Heggen insisted it was a calculated move. Klæbo lauded Heggen’s rise but warned against repeating his own 2018 Ruka mistake, while Monsen called Heggen a ‘full-blooded’ skier with a big future.
Cross-country skiing: Drone camera appears over Swedish skiers during Tour de Ski sprint
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
During the Tour de Ski sprint opener, a drone-mounted camera followed the athletes around the entire course, drawing reactions from Sweden’s Moa Ilar and Moa Lundgren. Ilar noticed the drone when others were racing, while Lundgren welcomed the technology for the comprehensive course views it provides to spectators and teams. Both said they didn’t hear it while competing.
Tour de Ski opens in Toblach: Joensuu puzzled after semi, Vuorinen’s rare qualifying exit; Klæbo and Skistad win sprints
December 28, 2025 / Yle
Tour de Ski began in Toblach with freestyle sprints and mixed results for Finland. Jasmi Joensuu qualified third and reached the semifinals but slipped to 11th, suspecting equipment issues on the downhills; Jasmin Kähärä missed the semis by one hundredth. On the men’s side, Lauri Vuorinen suffered a rare qualifying elimination, while Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won for his 102nd World Cup victory and Kristine Stavås Skistad took the women’s final amid early crashes.
Johannes Klaebo opens Tour de Ski with sprint win; Lucas Chanavat fifth
December 28, 2025 / L'Équipe
The 20th Tour de Ski began in Toblach with a freestyle sprint won by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who leads the overall standings and is targeting a fifth overall Tour title. France’s Lucas Chanavat reached the final and finished fifth after a conservative tactical approach, while compatriot Jules Chappaz exited in the quarterfinals. In the women’s sprint, Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad claimed her 13th World Cup victory ahead of Coletta Rydzek and Maja Dahlqvist.
Cross-country: Frida Karlsson’s extreme thoughts: “I can question my career choice”
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Swedish cross-country star Frida Karlsson says she has a love–hate relationship with cold weather, admitting it has at times felt like a phobia and even made her question her career. She explains that the worst moments come right after races and that autumn cold has often coincided with injuries, which is why she prepared for the season with weeks of warm-weather training in Tenerife. Looking ahead to Milan–Cortina 2026, she contrasts the bitter cold of Beijing with sunnier memories of Val di Fiemme, envisioning sunshine and big crowds.
High drama in Tour de Ski sprint final — Norwegian star taken to hospital, season stage over
December 28, 2025 / Yle
Norway celebrated wins on the opening day of the Tour de Ski, but also suffered a potential Olympic blow as Mathilde Myhrvold dislocated her left shoulder after crashing in the women’s sprint final in Toblach. Myhrvold was taken to hospital and has withdrawn from the Tour. Kristine Stavås Skistad dominated to win the women’s sprint, while Johannes Høsflot Klæbo took a commanding victory in the men’s sprint ahead of young Norwegians Lars Heggen and Oscar Opstad Vike.
Latest from Tour de Ski: Mathilde Myhrvold withdraws with shoulder injury
December 28, 2025 / NRK Sport
Norway’s Mathilde Myhrvold dislocated her left shoulder in a crash during the Tour de Ski sprint in Toblach and has withdrawn from the event. Team doctors say it’s too early to set a timeline, but the injury threatens her participation in the Winter Olympics in about five weeks. The article also highlights Kristine Stavås Skistad’s dominant sprint win and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s victory in the men’s sprint, with strong Norwegian depth behind him.
Iivo Niskanen sets clear Tour de Ski plan – new heat mass-start format added; schedule and TV info
December 28, 2025 / Yle
Tour de Ski 2025 begins in Italy (Toblach and Val di Fiemme) and introduces a new 5 km freestyle ‘heat mass start’ on New Year’s Eve, with results decided by time across multiple heats. Finland’s Krista Pärmäkoski says this will be her final Tour after illness setbacks, while Iivo Niskanen, recovering from December sickness and back issues, targets the classic 10 km and 20 km stages and may stop after four stages if he is outside the top 30 overall. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo can break the overall-wins record with a fifth title; prize money is outlined for stages, sprint and climb classifications, and overall standings.
Cross-country skiing: Kristine Stavås Skistad wins Tour de Ski opener – Dahlqvist on the podium
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norway’s Kristine Stavås Skistad won the freestyle sprint in Toblach to open the Tour de Ski, controlling the final from the front. Germany’s Coletta Rydzek surged late for second, while Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist finished third. Johanna Hagström crashed at the start of the final, Emma Ribom fell in the semifinals, and Jessie Diggins placed fourth as a lucky loser, collecting valuable bonus seconds for the overall; Jonna Sundling and Linn Svahn skipped the Tour (training/foot injury).
Kristine Skistad and Johannes Klæbo dominate Tour de Ski opener
December 28, 2025 / Yle
Tour de Ski began in Toblach with a freestyle sprint, won by Norway’s Kristine Stavås Skistad for the women and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo for the men, who led a Norwegian 1–2–3. Finland’s best were Jasmi Joensuu in 11th and Joni Mäki in 20th; Jasmin Kähärä missed the semifinals by one hundredth. The live blog also noted Mathilde Myhrvold’s shoulder injury and withdrawal from the Tour, Oberstdorf Four Hills qualifying results for Finnish ski jumpers, and Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom World Cup win in Semmering.
Klaebo holds off Norway’s new boys for fifth Toblach victory
December 28, 2025 / FIS
Johannes Høesflot Klæbo won the Sprint Freestyle in Toblach to claim his 102nd individual World Cup victory, fending off rising Norwegian teammates Lars Heggen (2nd) and Oskar Vike (3rd). The result was the first World Cup podium for 20‑year‑old Heggen and reinforced Vike’s strong season as the Tour de Ski headed on; the action in Toblach continues with 10km interval races the following day.
Cross-country skiing – Moser 8th in Tour de Ski opener, favorite Klæbo wins
December 28, 2025 / Kronen Zeitung (krone.at)
Austria’s Benjamin Moser equaled his best World Cup result with eighth place in the men’s freestyle sprint that opened the Tour de Ski in Toblach. Reigning Tour champion Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won ahead of Norwegians Lars Heggen and Oskar Opstad Vike for his 102nd World Cup victory. In the women’s sprint, Kristine Stavaas Skistad triumphed, while Austria’s Magdalena Scherz crashed in the quarterfinals; distance specialist Teresa Stadlober aims to contend in Monday’s 10 km classic individual start.