Cross-country: Linn Svahn to miss World Cup opener in Ruka

Swedish cross-country sprint specialist Linn Svahn will miss the World Cup season opener in Ruka. The 25-year-old, who had planned to return to racing at Sweden’s Gällivare season opener, withdrew there with cold symptoms and is still recovering.

Svahn has not competed since before last spring’s World Championships after suffering a concussion in a crash. SVT expert Anders Blomquist described her absence as “so sad,” stressing how difficult it is to build momentum in an Olympic season when strong performances are needed to secure selection.

Given the depth of Sweden’s women’s sprint squad, Blomquist said Svahn must post solid results to claim an Olympic berth, and there are limited classic sprint opportunities on the calendar. The next realistic target for her comeback is the World Cup weekend in Trondheim, Norway, on 5–7 December.