Cross Country Skiing
Alvar Myhlback ahead of Tour de Ski debut: “To be honest, I have no idea”
December 28, 2025 / Sveriges Radio – Radiosporten
Sweden’s 19-year‑old long‑distance specialist Alvar Myhlback says he feels ready for his first Tour de Ski, which he calls a legendary event, but admits he has little sense of what to expect. He stunned the World Cup field with a third place in the classic sprint in Trondheim earlier in December, and the Tour opens with a freestyle sprint—an event he has not raced before at World Cup level. The piece notes he was eliminated in sprint qualifying; Radiosporten is broadcasting the Tour finals live.
Cross-country skiing: Alvar Myhlback eliminated already in the Toblach sprint prologue
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s 19-year-old Alvar Myhlback, set to debut at the Tour de Ski in Toblach, was knocked out in the freestyle sprint prologue, finishing 7.33 seconds behind qualifier winner Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Edvin Anger was the only Swede to advance, while Anton Grahn, William Poromaa, Truls Gisselman and others also failed to qualify. Myhlback, already selected for the Olympics primarily as a sprinter, admitted he struggled technically at high skate speeds.
Cross-country skiing: Edvin Anger misses the final in Tour de Ski opener: “Not good enough”
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s Edvin Anger was the only Swedish man to advance from the sprint prologue at the Tour de Ski opener, but he was eliminated in the semifinals after advancing from the quarters as a lucky loser. Norway swept the men’s freestyle sprint podium, with Johannes Høsflot Klæbo winning ahead of youngsters Lars Heggen and Oskar Opstad Vike, while several other Swedes, including Alvar Myhlback, went out in qualifying.
Cross-country skiing: Frida Karlsson knocked out immediately in Tour de Ski opener: “Dreadful”
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Tour de Ski opened in Toblach with the women’s freestyle sprint qualification, where Sweden’s Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson failed to advance. Karlsson finished 48th, 10.52 seconds behind qualifier winner Johanna Hagström, and called her performance “dreadful,” saying she lacked the necessary speed. Five Swedish women advanced, led by Hagström, while Andersson placed 64th and looked ahead to the 10 km individual the following day.
Cross-country skier Alvar Myhlback on his big weakness: “I’m incredibly bad”
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Swedish long-distance specialist Alvar Myhlback makes his Tour de Ski debut and admits he feels unsure about his form, especially in freestyle, which he says he barely trains and is “incredibly bad” at. Half of the six Tour de Ski stages are classic, his strength, while the other half are freestyle. Despite doubts, the 19‑year‑old insists he has high goals and will “fight” regardless of technique as the multi‑day event unfolds.
Cross-country: Ebba Andersson apprehensive before Tour de Ski start: “I don’t handle it particularly well”
December 28, 2025 / SVT Sport
Ebba Andersson says she is bracing for a difficult freestyle sprint opener at Tour de Ski, a stage she historically struggles with, but believes her overall form is good for the week-long event in Italy. After last year’s Tour, her season turned around and she peaked for the Trondheim World Championships with three golds; this time she feels more secure in her abilities and will focus on training blocks ahead of the 2026 Olympics. Teammate Edvin Anger, who broke through at last year’s Tour, admits to a shaky start to the season and lingering fatigue.
Kerttu Niskanen reveals worrying health issues but will still start the Tour de Ski
December 27, 2025 / Yle
Finnish cross-country star Kerttu Niskanen says she has had unspecified health problems but will nonetheless start the Tour de Ski in Toblach. Her form has been poor this season, with results outside the top 20, and she admits the issues have not disappeared. Yle also lists Finland’s men’s and women’s rosters for the Tour de Ski.
Hanna Falk: She can win the overall World Cup
December 27, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Radiosporten expert Hanna Falk believes Sweden’s Moa Ilar can win the overall Cross-Country World Cup this season. Ilar enters Tour de Ski in second place, 14 points behind leader Jessie Diggins, and Falk says maintaining her current form could carry her to the crystal globe. No Swedish woman has ever won the overall World Cup.
Mika Vermeulen astonished by Perttu Hyvärinen’s antics – and speaks to Yle about Austria’s doping shame
December 27, 2025 / Yle
Austrian cross-country skier Mika Vermeulen praises Finland’s Perttu Hyvärinen as a social‑media style icon and discusses how Austria’s troubled doping past pushed him to distance himself from the domestic culture by moving to Lillehammer. Vermeulen compares Austria’s reckoning at the 2019 Seefeld World Championships to Finland’s Lahti 2001 scandal and says the sport is slowly recovering, with him and Teresa Stadlober leading the way. He also reflects on race tactics, his role challenging Norway’s dominance, and the prospect of aiding Iivo Niskanen in the 50 km classic at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics.
Sweden’s Linn Svahn and Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng withdraw from Tour de Ski
December 26, 2025 / Yle
Swedish sprint star Linn Svahn will skip the Tour de Ski after feeling pain in her right leg during training; her coach Stefan Thomson says it is likely a nerve compression and the decision is precautionary. Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng also withdraws after falling ill over Christmas, with Nora Sanness replacing her. The Tour begins in Toblach and finishes in Val di Fiemme on January 4; Sweden recently named Svahn to its Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympic team.
Linn Svahn injured — will skip Tour de Ski
December 26, 2025 / Sveriges Radio – Radiosporten
Sweden’s sprint star Linn Svahn will not start the upcoming Tour de Ski due to an injury concern. National team coach Stefan Thomson says the decision to withdraw is a precaution. The setback is a blow to the Swedish team ahead of one of the World Cup’s marquee stage events.
Jasmi Joensuu and Lauri Vuorinen to test Val di Fiemme’s new Olympic sprint course
December 26, 2025 / Yle
Finland’s sprinters will get a first look at the revamped Val di Fiemme sprint course during the Tour de Ski on 3 January, which mirrors the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympic sprint. Head coach Teemu Pasanen says the track has been redesigned to be tougher, with three climbs and a lower entry into the final descent to reduce pack-skiing and late surges. The Tour opens in Toblach and, aside from the Val di Fiemme sprint, most stages do not follow Olympic formats; the week will also show the form of Iivo and Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski after illness or early-season struggles.