Cross Country Skiing
How Russian skiers have been anti-doping tested during the ban: “They haven’t been able to dope to the hilt”
December 02, 2025 / Yle
After CAS annulled blanket nationality-based bans, Yle examines what anti-doping controls Russian cross‑country skiers have faced since 2022. A FIS anti‑doping expert notes that many Russians remained in the FIS Registered Testing Pool with whereabouts obligations and frequent urine tests analyzed in accredited European labs, though questions persist over blood sample logistics for the biological passport and GH testing. While no positive tests from the ban period have been reported, concerns include reduced test volumes due to cost and the feasibility of transporting blood within 24 hours from remote training locations.
Finnish FIS board member: No well-known Russian skiers on the neutral athletes list
December 02, 2025 / Yle
Finnish FIS board member Martti Uusitalo says the pool of neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes in FIS disciplines is very small and currently does not include any of the well-known Russian cross-country skiers such as Alexander Bolshunov. He notes that CAS ruled neutral Russians and Belarusians should be allowed to compete in FIS events, including World Cup races and the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics, but Olympic quota places for Russia would be minimal—reportedly one male and one female in cross-country. Uusitalo adds that many top Russians received military honors after Beijing 2022, which would disqualify them from neutral status.
Russian skiers cleared for Olympic return — Finland coach Teemu Pasanen fears cuts to Finnish quota
December 02, 2025 / Yle
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) swiftly ruled that neutral Russian athletes can return to FIS competitions, opening the door to the 2026 Milan–Cortina Olympic cross-country events. Finland head coach Teemu Pasanen worries existing national quotas, already allocated and tight, could be reduced to make room for Russians despite Russia having no recent Nations Ranking points. Sports lawyer Olli Rauste explains the legal basis of the CAS panel’s decision and notes broader IOC dynamics that may favor Russian participation.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen laments Finland women’s team situation after Ruka — questions FIS entry rules and calls for more Olympic-distance races
December 01, 2025 / Yle
Yle expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen reviews the Ruka World Cup opener, highlighting Krista Pärmäkoski’s retirement and the challenge of finding a versatile successor in Finland’s women’s team. She praises Emil Liekari’s surprise sprint performance, criticizes recent FIS entry policies that allowed very low-ranked skiers into top-tier races, and argues that Olympic-season World Cups should feature more Olympic/Worlds distances. Saarinen also reacts to multiple DNFs in the women’s 20 km mass start on an icy course and stresses the need for technical downhill skills.
Cross-country skiing: Scandal in Russia — Alexander Bolshunov ran over a rival and was disqualified
December 01, 2025 / SVT Sport
A video from a sprint in Kirovsk shows three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov skiing at speed into compatriot Alexander Bakurov in the finish zone, leaving Bakurov limping away. The jury disqualified Bolshunov for unsportsmanlike conduct; Bolshunov said he “didn’t like Bakurov’s attitude” after the two had collided earlier in the semifinal. The incident comes the same day Russia’s ski federation held a CAS video hearing seeking to lift the ban on Russian participation at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics, with a fast‑tracked ruling due by 10 December.
Cross-country skiing: Four takeaways that showed Edvin Anger’s class in Ruka
December 01, 2025 / SVT Sport
SVT expert Anders Blomquist breaks down Edvin Anger’s breakout performance in the men’s 20 km classic mass start at the World Cup opener in Ruka, where the 23‑year‑old Swede split the field and finished third. Blomquist called the effort “big and brave” and said it bodes well for the Olympic skiathlon and relay, highlighting Anger’s strong finishing ability.
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.