Cross Country Skiing
Frida Karlsson after talked-about post: “I’ve felt boxed in”
September 30, 2025 / Sveriges Radio – Radiosporten
Swedish cross-country star Frida Karlsson expands on a recent social media post where she questioned whether elite athletes are being shaped more like machines than humans. In an interview with P4 Jämtland, she says she has sometimes felt constrained and calls for more room for play, instinct and emotion in top-level sport. The piece focuses on her reflections rather than a specific competition result.
Para skier Inkki Inola criticizes reinstatement of Russia and Belarus by IPC: “Wrong decision on every level”
September 29, 2025 / Yle
Finnish para cross-country skier Inkki Inola condemned the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to lift the suspension on Russia and Belarus ahead of the Milano–Cortina Paralympic Winter Games. Inola, a member of Finland’s Paralympic athletes’ commission, said the move is unethical while the war continues and could pit Ukrainian war‑injured veterans against Russian athletes. He added that although sport federations like FIS will make final eligibility calls, the IPC’s signal “looks really bad”; Finnish Paralympic Committee chair Sari Rautio also voted against the reinstatement.
Stars react to Frida Karlsson’s post: “The joy must not disappear”
September 29, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Swedish cross-country star Frida Karlsson posted on social media that elite athletes are being shaped more like machines than humans and called for more space for playfulness and feelings in top sport. National team teammates Ebba Andersson and William Poromaa supported her reflections, with Andersson stressing that skiing began with joy and passion and that this must not be lost along the way. The item highlights a broader conversation in elite cross-country skiing about mental well‑being and balancing performance demands with intrinsic motivation.
Iivo Niskanen and a large group of Finnish skiers named to the Olympics
September 29, 2025 / Yle
The Finnish Olympic Committee announced its first individual athlete selections for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, including five cross-country skiers: Jasmi Joensuu, Iivo Niskanen, Kerttu Niskanen, Krista Pärmäkoski and Lauri Vuorinen. Biathlete Suvi Minkkinen, Nordic combined athlete Ilkka Herola, and freeskiers Anni Kärävä and Elias Syrjä were also selected. High-performance director Janne Hänninen said the early choices, made jointly with federations, give top athletes clarity and reflect their medal-contending potential shown last season.
Ebba Andersson on her knee injury: “Not 100% recovered”
September 24, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Swedish cross-country star Ebba Andersson says she enters the Olympic season still recovering from a knee injury sustained during a summer run. She has avoided running entirely in preseason, focusing instead on rollerskiing and cycling, and reports gradual improvement but not full recovery. Andersson hopes her knee will continue trending in the right direction as winter approaches.
Norway admits Therese Johaug’s “white lie” before the Trondheim World Championships
September 23, 2025 / Yle
Norway’s cross-country icon Therese Johaug was ill shortly before last winter’s World Championships in Trondheim, but the team concealed it from the public. National team coach Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass told Expressen they gave a “white lie” when Johaug skipped the Falun World Cup weekend, saying it was for home preparation rather than illness. Johaug has said she caught a cold from her daughter Kristin about three weeks before the championships, and the staff wanted to avoid “chaos” and excessive attention.
Swedish cross-country stars did the forbidden — stopped by police in Italy
September 16, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Sweden’s men’s cross-country team began a high‑altitude training camp in Livigno, Italy, with an unexpected incident: police stopped them on day one for violating local rules. William Poromaa says he nearly had to ride off with the officers and explains the background to the mix‑up. No charges were reported; the team is continuing preparations for the season.
Setback in Olympic build-up: Several Swedish cross-country skiers leave national team camp
September 16, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Several Swedish cross-country national team athletes have left a high-altitude training camp in Lavazè, Italy due to illness as part of their preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Team doctor Rickard Noberius says the affected skiers have mild cold symptoms, but the number of cases has prompted stricter precautions to prevent further spread within the squad.
Rome to host the third stage of the Rollerski World Cup
September 15, 2025 / FIS
Rome will stage its first-ever FIS Rollerski World Cup stop on September 16–17, 2025, featuring a 150 m sprint by the Colosseum and a 10 km mass start around the Terme di Caracalla. The event follows Madona and Trollhättan and precedes the World Cup Finals in Val di Fiemme (Sept 19–21), where sprints, team sprint, and mass starts will decide the season titles. Organizers expect athletes from 18 nations, aligning the showcase with Rome’s Jubilee Year and the lead-up to Milano–Cortina 2026.
Swedish ski heroes accused of doping in new book: “You’re appalled”
September 12, 2025 / Sveriges Radio – Radiosporten
A new book about former Finnish skiing star Mika Myllylä alleges that Swedish cross-country skiers used EPO at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics. Finnish ex-head coach Pekka Vähäsöyrinki’s investigations are cited via Ilta‑Sanomat as the basis for the claim. Swedish Olympic champion and current expert Torgny Mogren, who was on that team, reacted by saying the allegations are shocking.
Cross-Country Training Around the World
September 08, 2025 / FIS
FIS highlights how World Cup cross-country skiers have been training across the globe during the summer as they prepare for the upcoming season. The piece briefly notes training camps and meetups in places such as New Zealand, the Pyrenees, and warm-weather locations, and name-checks several top athletes seen in off-season preparation. It’s a light roundup focused on social posts and sightings rather than competition results.
Finnish government proposes €850,000 support for bidding on 2030 European Athletics and hosting the 2029 Nordic Ski World Championships
September 03, 2025 / Yle
Finland’s government included €850,000 in its budget proposal to support Helsinki’s bid for the 2030 European Athletics Championships and the organization of the 2029 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti. Minister Sari Essayah said the funding backs a new model in which the state helps secure and stage major sports events. Urheiluliitto chair Riikka Pakarinen described the championships as a pilot for Finland’s event-hosting model.