Cross-country skiing: Jonna Sundling criticizes national team selections: “Easier to say no to someone who doesn’t speak up”

Swedish cross-country skier Jonna Sundling has questioned aspects of Sweden’s team selection process ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. While she is the reigning Olympic sprint champion and has four consecutive championship sprint titles, Sundling says she wants opportunities beyond sprint and believes speaking up more in the team environment could improve her selection chances for longer-distance events.

Sundling notes that, at times, she fully understands not being chosen, but there have been occasions where she felt she met all criteria and still wasn’t selected. She cites her disappointment at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, where she was initially left out of the 30 km despite winning three medals (including sprint gold) but later got a start after Frida Karlsson withdrew, finishing fourth. At the 2023 World Championships in Planica, she won two golds but was not selected for the relay lineup.

After capturing her seventh World Championship gold in Trondheim earlier this year—tying Swedish legend Gunde Svan for the most Worlds golds by a Swede—Sundling says many possibilities have opened up. Sprint gold remains her primary goal, but she hopes to race as much as possible at upcoming championships, including Trondheim 2025 and the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics.