Cross Country Skiing
Aino‑Kaisa Saarinen praises Finland’s ‘second string’ after Davos while slamming Remi Lindholm’s false start; mixed fortunes for stars like Klæbo
December 15, 2025 / Yle
Finnish expert Aino‑Kaisa Saarinen says Finland’s emerging group delivered career-best World Cup results in Davos: Arsi Ruuskanen (11th) and Niko Anttola (13th) in the men’s 10 km free, and Vilma Ryytty (9th) and Vilma Nissinen (18th) in the women’s race, with Ryytty posting a personal best. She criticizes Remi Lindholm’s three‑second false start—reportedly to try drafting Harald Østberg Amundsen—which, along with a poor race, left him 49th and likely out of Finland’s Olympic plans. Saarinen also questions Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s tactical choices in the Davos sprint and says athletes now face choices on Tour de Ski versus training as the season pauses for Christmas.
Myhlback’s Olympic chances improve — even without racing: “That won’t hold”
December 15, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Radiosporten reports that 19‑year‑old Alvar Myhlback is emerging as a serious Olympic candidate in cross‑country sprint despite skipping the latest weekend of racing. Expert Torgny Mogren calls him Sweden’s strongest men’s sprinter this season and notes that weak domestic competition could favor his Olympic selection. The piece also questions the state of Sweden’s men’s sprint depth, suggesting the current situation is unsustainable.
Iivo Niskanen a question mark for Finland’s head coach; Russian skier says altitude “destroyed” him in Davos
December 15, 2025 / Yle
The article reviews Finnish men's results in the Davos World Cup 10 km freestyle, where Perttu Hyvärinen and Remi Lindholm underperformed while Arsi Ruuskanen again impressed and is close to Olympic selection. Iivo Niskanen missed the race due to illness amid recent back and form issues, with Emil Liekari called early in the morning to replace him. Russia’s Savely Korostelev, racing under neutral status, started fast but faded at altitude; he still believes the performance secured Russia’s final quota for the 2026 Winter Olympics following the CAS decision allowing neutral participation.
Expert on Sweden’s men: “Something isn’t right” after Davos World Cup
December 15, 2025 / Sveriges Radio - Radiosporten
Radiosporten expert Torgny Mogren reacts to Sweden’s men’s cross‑country team underperforming at the Davos World Cup. He suggests the problems may stem from preparation and build‑up rather than race‑day effort. The piece notes hopes for a turnaround were not realized in Davos.
Cross-country: Moa Ilar finishes Davos weekend on the podium
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s Moa Ilar took second place in the women’s 10 km race at the Davos World Cup, leaving her second overall in the World Cup standings behind Jessie Diggins. Norway’s Karoline Simpson‑Larsen claimed her first career World Cup victory, with Astrid Øyre Slind third and Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist fourth.
Vilma Ryytty posts career-best 9th in Davos 10 km free; busy Sunday across World Cups
December 14, 2025 / Yle
Finland’s Vilma Ryytty finished ninth in the women’s 10 km freestyle in Davos, her best individual World Cup result, while Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen won. Norway swept the men’s 10 km free led by Einar Hedegart, and Arsi Ruuskanen was the top Finn in 11th. The roundup also covers Antti Aalto’s 22nd in Klingenthal ski jumping, biathlon results in Hochfilzen where Suvi Minkkinen surged from 49th to 13th in the pursuit, and Alpine World Cup races in Val d’Isère and St. Moritz.
Cross-country skiing: Stina Nilsson finishes second in Bad Gastein Ski Classics opener
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Stina Nilsson took second place in the 36 km Ski Classics race in Bad Gastein, finishing just behind Norway’s Anniken Gjerde Alnæs after the duo, along with Silje Øyre Slind, broke away with about 10 km to go. After a post-race review of an incident with Jenny Larsson on a downhill, Nilsson received a yellow card but kept her podium, her sixth in Ski Classics. Norway’s Kasper Stadaas won the men’s race.
Cross-country: Sweden men’s team struggles — Anders Byström on Jens Burman: “I don’t understand”
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s men’s cross‑country team is off to a troubled start, highlighted by Jens Burman’s 47th and 65th places in the Scandinavian Cup in Östersund after being dropped from the World Cup team. National team manager Anders Byström calls Burman’s collapse a mystery given his strong autumn training and says the staff will investigate. With illness setbacks for William Poromaa and Oskar Svensson and underperformance from others, Byström warns the men’s side is vulnerable ahead of the Olympics and may use more Scandinavian Cup starts to rebuild form.
Cross-Country World Cup: Stadlober 14th in Davos – Vermeulen 50th
December 14, 2025 / krone.at
Austria’s Teresa Stadlober finished 14th in the women’s 10 km individual start skate in Davos, 52.8 seconds behind winner Karoline Simpson-Larsen. Mika Vermeulen struggled in the men’s race, placing 50th, as Norway’s Einar Hedegart led a podium sweep with Harald Østberg Amundsen and Mattis Stenshagen, while overall leader Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was fourth. The article also notes that several Russian and Belarusian athletes received FIS clearance to compete as neutrals, with Savely Korostelev finishing 25th.
Kerttu Niskanen slams her race – blunt on what comes next
December 14, 2025 / Yle
Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen finished only 22nd in the women’s 10 km freestyle interval start in Davos and said her form is trending the wrong way, suggesting there’s no point in racing until things improve. Teammate Vilma Ryytty delivered a career-best World Cup result in ninth, just 37 seconds behind winner Karoline Simpson‑Larsen, while Moa Ilar was second and Astrid Øyre Slind third. Women’s team coach Pia Pekonen believes Niskanen and her coach Juho Mikkonen can still find solutions ahead of the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics.
Cross-country: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo on World Cup weekend: “Annoyed with myself”
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo reacted angrily after a disastrous sprint in Davos, leaving the venue mid‑competition and skipping interviews. A day later he finished fourth in the 10 km, saying he’s satisfied with the progression from seventh last week and acknowledging his sprint mistakes. He also praised surprise 10 km winner Einar Hedegart, a recent biathlon convert, calling his skating “impressive.”
Cross-country: Savely Korostelev secures Olympic quota spot as a neutral – “See you there”
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Russian cross-country skier Savely Korostelev competed in Davos under neutral status and, despite modest results, secured one of the final Olympic quota places for Milano–Cortina 2026. FIS confirmed the quota to SVT but noted quotas will be published Monday; the places are tied to AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes) and must also be recognized by the IOC. On the women’s side, Russia’s Daria Nepryaeva also secured a neutral quota; Swede Gustaf Berglund was 15th in the Davos distance race and praised Korostelev’s potential.