Cross Country Skiing
Analysis: Will Finland be left watching while Norway and Sweden dominate the Olympic cross‑country podiums? Ruka underlined the sport’s painful problem
December 01, 2025 / Yle
A Finnish analysis warns that Norway and Sweden could sweep the medals at the Val di Fiemme 2026 Olympics, a trend reinforced by the Ruka World Cup opener. Since Beijing 2022, Norway and Sweden have captured 43 of 48 individual medals at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, with Lauri Vuorinen delivering Finland’s only individual medal. The article argues that the post‑fluor era has strengthened the leaders further, as top athletes secure the best skis, making breakthroughs by challengers even harder.
Jonna Sundling wins the Ruka mass start at the World Cup
November 30, 2025 / L'Équipe
Sweden’s Jonna Sundling won the women’s mass start that closed the World Cup opening weekend in Ruka, Finland, edging Jessie Diggins by 2.3 seconds with Heidi Weng third at 2.8 seconds. It capped a strong Swedish start to the season after Frida Karlsson’s 10 km win on Friday; France’s Delphine Claudel returned from injury to place 13th. Moa Ilar leads the overall standings ahead of Diggins and Jasmi Joensuu, with the tour moving to Trondheim next weekend.
Emma Ribom on nightmare weekend: “The wind isn’t at my back right now”
November 30, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s Emma Ribom reflected on a disastrous Ruka World Cup weekend: disqualified in Saturday’s sprint after a second yellow card, then suffering a broken pole and a late fall in Sunday’s 20 km mass start. She finished 21st, two minutes behind winner Jonna Sundling, and said the incidents cost energy and left her with sore knees. Ribom noted Sundling even shouted for a replacement pole to help her after the break.
Cross-country: Tough conditions in Ruka mass start – “Scary”
November 30, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sunday’s World Cup mass start races in Ruka were held on icy, near‑freezing tracks, causing several early crashes in the women’s race. Ebba Andersson described struggling with control on descents and finished fifth, while Jonna Sundling pulled away to win as Frida Karlsson and Andersson missed the podium. Men also faced stressful, rough racing; Edvin Anger took third, and Johan Ekberg spoke about the risk and intensity in the pack.
Austrian star who ‘saved’ the Ruka mass start could be Iivo Niskanen’s trump card at the Olympics
November 30, 2025 / Yle
Yle analyzes how Edvin Anger (SWE) and Mika Vermeulen (AUT) broke away early to animate the men’s 20 km freestyle mass start in Ruka, countering criticism that the Ruka course produces dull pack sprints. Harald Østberg Amundsen won ahead of Einar Hedegart and Anger, while Finns struggled and Iivo Niskanen skipped the race. Expert Ville Nousiainen suggests Niskanen could even seek tactical cooperation with Vermeulen at the Milano–Cortina 2026 50 km classic mass start to avoid a bunch sprint against finishers like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Amundsen.
Cross-country skiing: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo: “Bloody irritated” after Ruka mass start
November 30, 2025 / SVT Sport
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo finished 15th in the men’s 20 km mass start in Ruka and called his performance “really bad,” saying nothing worked and he was “bloody irritated.” He lost time when the pace increased, allowing a front group to get away, and ended 18.3 seconds behind winner Harald Østberg Amundsen. Sweden’s Edvin Anger placed third.
Cross-country skiers slam icy Ruka conditions: “It was about not dying”
November 30, 2025 / NRK Sport
At the Ruka World Cup, athletes criticized extremely icy tracks after a 20 km mass start that left several struggling and one Norwegian bleeding from the nose after a pole strike. Harald Østberg Amundsen won ahead of Einar Hedegart and Sweden’s Edvin Anger, while Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s bid for a 100th World Cup victory stalled in 15th. Opinions differed on safety: some called it the toughest conditions they’ve seen, while others said such challenges must be handled.
Cross-country: Swedish team split over high‑altitude training before the Olympics
November 30, 2025 / SVT Sport
SVT reports that Sweden’s cross-country team is divided on whether high‑altitude camps are beneficial ahead of the Olympics. Ebba Andersson and Edvin Anger are opting out based on previous responses, while William Poromaa and Maja Dahlqvist say altitude gives them a boost and plan to use it in their Olympic build‑up. The federation, supported by the Swedish Olympic Committee, will run a pre‑Olympic camp in Seiser Alm, with several stars skipping the final World Cup in Goms to attend.
Swedish success — Jonna Sundling wins the 20 km mass start in Ruka
November 30, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Jonna Sundling won the women’s 20 km mass start at the Ruka World Cup, finishing in 50:24.9 after a powerful closing surge. Jessie Diggins took second, 2.3 seconds back, and Heidi Weng was third at +2.8, with Swedes Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson placing fourth and fifth. The result capped a strong weekend for Sweden at the international season opener in Finland.
Karlsson disappointed by lack of help setting the pace: “Hard when no one else wants to push”
November 30, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Sweden’s Frida Karlsson finished fourth in the women’s mass start in Ruka after losing out in the sprint. She expressed disappointment that few competitors helped drive the pace at the front, saying it was difficult to keep speed high alone. The race is part of the Cross-Country World Cup in Ruka, Finland.
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Einar Hedegart emerges as a hot Olympic contender after another blistering race: “He’s incredibly strong”
November 30, 2025 / Eurosport Norway
Norwegian biathlete-turned-cross-country skier Einar Hedegart followed up his surprise 10 km win at the Beitostølen season opener by finishing second in the Ruka 20 km mass start, only behind Harald Østberg Amundsen. Despite small tactical and technical mistakes, Hedegart’s form has propelled him into serious contention for Norway’s Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympic team, with a crucial 10 km individual start coming next week in Trondheim.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo overshadowed in Ruka 20 km: “I’m really pissed off”
November 30, 2025 / Eurosport Norway
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo finished only 15th in the men’s 20 km race at the Ruka World Cup and called his performance “terrible,” saying nothing worked and he would head home. Norway still dominated, with Harald Østberg Amundsen attacking on the final climb to win ahead of rising compatriot Einar Hedegart, while Sweden’s Edvin Anger took third. Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget was fourth as several other Norwegians placed in the top 20.