Sweden reflect on nightmare relay at the Olympics: "A total catastrophe"

After their nightmare in the women's 4 x 7.5 km relay at the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Sweden's cross‑country skiers spoke openly about what happened and how it affected them.

The most dramatic image of the day came when Ebba Andersson fell twice and a binding came off one of her skis during the relay. She was forced to continue for several metres on a single ski before a member of the Swedish staff reached her with a replacement. The incident very probably cost Sweden the Olympic title — they were heavy favourites — although the team dug deep and climbed back from eighth place to win the silver medal.

In the press conference after the podium, Andersson (already a two‑time Olympic silver medallist in the skiathlon and the 10 km free) described the ordeal and the emotions she felt on the course. "At that moment a flood of emotions ran through my body and my head," she said. "It was a total catastrophe. At first I thought I had to fix it myself, but I realised I couldn't. Then I tried to ski down the slope as fast as possible until one of our coaches, who was running with a replacement ski, could get to me."

She added that what she most wanted immediately after the race was to "go back to the hotel, have a shower and let the water wash away all the bad emotions of the day."

Sweden will try to regroup and aim for gold in the two remaining team events: the team sprint on Wednesday and the 50 km classical on Sunday, 22 February, which is the final day of the Games in Italy.

The Swedes limited the damage by taking silver, but the disappointment is clear. Head coach Ida Ingemarsdotter said that Frida Karlsson — the team's third leg and a double Olympic gold medallist — "did not feel well after the race" and skipped the press conference, although the coach added she was not worried about Karlsson's prospects for the rest of the Games.

For Andersson, recovering emotionally and physically is the priority before the team returns to competition. The relay incident has already been widely shared and discussed worldwide, and the Swedish team will be judged on how they respond in the remaining events at Milan‑Cortina 2026.

(Article from AFP, published 14 February 2026)