Cross Country Skiing
Russia appeals ban on its Nordic skiers to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
November 07, 2025 / Yle
CAS has confirmed it received an appeal from the Russian Ski Association, 12 Russian athletes and the Russian Paralympic Committee against FIS’s October decision to keep Russian (and Belarusian) athletes out of FIS-sanctioned international competitions. The case specifically challenges FIS’s refusal to facilitate participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as Individual Neutral Athletes in qualification events for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. CAS will now collect written submissions and set a hearing date; a recent CAS ruling partially lifted a comparable blanket ban in luge for Russian athletes.
Nightmare Olympic selection looming for Sweden’s women sprinters: “I’ll be sad and disappointed”
November 06, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Sweden faces a brutal selection for the women’s cross‑country sprint at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with only four roster spots available despite multiple medal‑level contenders. National team boss Anders Byström calls it one of his toughest tasks, while sprinter Johanna Hagström acknowledges the pressure and says everyone knows how fierce the battle is. The item highlights the depth of Sweden’s sprint team, mentioning athletes like Maja Dahlqvist and Hagström, and the likelihood that deserving skiers will miss out.
Therese Johaug opens up about pregnancy: “I don’t like it”
November 03, 2025 / NRK
Norwegian cross-country great Therese Johaug, expecting her second child in January, candidly says she dislikes being pregnant, describing back pain, reduced training and feeling unlike herself. A doctor from NTNU explains why pregnancy can feel particularly challenging for elite athletes used to full bodily control. Johaug, who raced internationally after her first child and medaled in Trondheim 2025, plans to work as an NRK expert at the 2026 Olympics just weeks after her due date.
German team boss doubts Victoria Carl will be cleared for the Olympics as doping case drags on
November 03, 2025 / Yle
German cross‑country director Peter Schlickenrieder says uncertainty over Olympic champion Victoria Carl continues, and the federation is not counting on her for Milan–Cortina 2026. Carl tested positive for clenbuterol at the Military World Championships last March and has been provisionally suspended since June, with a WADA‑code standard sanction of four years unless mitigating factors apply. While Germany sends 19 skiers to the early‑season snow races in Muonio, Carl remains sidelined; a swift, unexpectedly exonerating decision by NADA could see her rejoin immediately, but Schlickenrieder stresses no decision has yet been made.
Expert plays down Iivo Niskanen’s early-season form worries and notes Norwegians must peak sooner
November 03, 2025 / Yle
Finland’s domestic season opened in Vuokatti with relay races drawing interest and top names like Iivo Niskanen, Perttu Hyvärinen, Joni Mäki, Remi Lindholm, Jasmin Kähärä and Eveliina Piippo. Yle expert Kalle Lassila says Niskanen’s early start and modest pace are fine given his May finger fracture and long-term plan toward the Milan–Cortina Olympics, while Norway’s men must already be near top form to fight for Olympic spots. Lassila also highlighted promising signs from Joni Mäki and Jasmin Kähärä ahead of the Ruka Finnish Cup and World Cup opener later in November.
Miro Karppanen turns to Frida Karlsson–style warm‑weather prep as Finns battle for Olympic spots
November 02, 2025 / Yle
Yle profiles Finnish skier Miro Karppanen as a potential surprise pick for Finland’s men’s team for the 2026 Milano–Cortina Olympics. With two of seven Olympic places already secured by Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen, Karppanen targets early‑season results at Ruka and the World Cup opener after summer fatigue, even adopting Frida Karlsson’s warm‑weather training approach in Spain. He acknowledges this could be a make‑or‑break season for his career and sees classic events as his best opportunity to post the top‑10 World Cup result likely needed to advance.
Jonna Sundling reveals her Olympic plan: “I’d say yes to racing every event”
November 01, 2025 / Sveriges Radio - Radiosporten
Sweden’s Olympic sprint champion Jonna Sundling says she wants to compete in every cross-country event at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. In an interview with Radiosporten, Sundling adds that if she’s selected for any distance, she will accept and aims to fight for multiple medals. The piece underscores her ambition to expand beyond sprint into all races on the Olympic program.
Cross-country: Calle Halfvarsson reveals family decision: “Keeping the kids at home”
November 01, 2025 / SVT Sport
Swedish cross-country skier Calle Halfvarsson says repeated colds have disrupted his pre-season, so his family decided to keep their children home from preschool to reduce infections before the season starts. Competing independently of the national team this year, he targets Sweden’s season opener in Gällivare on November 21–23 and hopes to race the World Cup opener in Ruka on November 28–30.
Cross-country: Norwegian columnist blasts Sweden’s handling of Alvar Myhlback as a “complete fiasco”
October 31, 2025 / SVT Sport
NRK columnist Jan Petter Saltvedt criticizes the Swedish federation for its treatment of 19‑year‑old prodigy Alvar Myhlback, who has opted out of the national team and an Olympic push to focus on Ski Classics with Team Lager 157. Saltvedt argues Myhlback is one of the few who could challenge Johannes Høsflot Klæbo over 50 km at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and says excluding him from last season’s Junior Worlds and failing to integrate him is damaging for the sport’s appeal. Myhlback hasn’t fully closed the Olympic door, but Sweden’s chef Anders Byström has said he supports the athlete’s long‑distance focus.
Windfall for U.S. Olympians – nearly 1 million SEK each
October 31, 2025 / SVT Sport
A record donation from philanthropist Ross Stevens will fund $100,000 payments to every U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete selected for the Games, with additional death benefits and multipliers for multiple appearances. The deferred payouts begin 20 years after participation or at age 45, and are limited to athletes earning under $1 million annually. Cross-country skier Gus Schumacher and biathlete Deedra Irwin highlight how meaningful the money could be in sports with modest earnings.
Cross-country skiing: Norway to skip Olympic Villages and stay in hotels
October 31, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norway will house its cross‑country skiing, alpine skiing, and biathlon teams in hotels instead of the Olympic Villages at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Citing the widely dispersed venues and lack of a cohesive village atmosphere, Olympic high‑performance boss Tore Øvrebø says the approach allows sport‑specific optimization; the bill is estimated at about SEK 9.3 million, roughly 60% of Norway’s Olympic budget. Cross‑country events will be in Val di Fiemme and biathlon in Antholz/Anterselva, with competitions spread across seven locations and six Olympic Villages between 6–22 February.
Threatened doping ban? “A catastrophe” for Victoria Carl
October 30, 2025 / Sportschau (BR regional)
Germany’s top cross‑country skier Victoria Carl faces a potential ban after testing positive for clenbuterol following the 2024/25 season, reportedly from a prescribed cough syrup after the Military World Games. National coach Peter Schlickenrieder expects a suspension likely covering the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, calling the situation “a catastrophe.” Carl is provisionally suspended, training alone and barred from national-team facilities, while the team tries to keep her motivated with a long‑term goal toward the 2030 Olympics; the World Cup opens 28 November in Ruka.