PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Frida Karlsson took home the entire Tour de Ski 2023.
But she pushed herself to the very limit and collapsed at the finish line.
The entire skiing world frowned upon the nasty pictures and in Norway now comes a serious warning to the Swedish.
During the race itself, it was not very dramatic on the last day of the Tour de Ski. Frida Karlsson won the overall victory despite being the 15th rider to the finish after the monster hill in Alpe Cemis but it was after the finish line that the big drama unfolded.
Frida’s collapse
For the Swedish 23-year-old collapsed completely in the goal area and had to leave the area with the help of a stretcher and medical assistance. The shocking images were cabled out to the entire skiing world and everyone crossed their fingers for the newly crowned Tour de Ski winner.
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After an anxious time, the first message came that Karlsson was conscious and able to speak, then also came pictures that showed her up on her legs. But during the awards ceremony, the top podium spot was empty when the competitors Kerttu Niskanen and Tiril Udnes Weng received their silver and bronze medals.
READ MORE: The teammates’ great anger – raging after the pictures of Frida Karlsson: “It’s over the line… So disrespectful”
Trouble in Norway
After the nasty pictures, there is now a serious warning from Norway to Karlsson and her well-being.
“The great triumph in the Tour de Ski was no longer fun. The best girl in the competition had to wear an oxygen mask to recover and the sport has never seen that before. Frida Karlsson had gone over the limit of what she is capable of. Unfortunately, it has happened before,” writes Dagbladet’s columnist Estonia O. Sæther.
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The Norwegian columnist is directly concerned for the Swede after the collapse in the goal line, when it happened so many times that she pushed her body far too much. In previous years, Karlsson has also been banned from training due to health risks.
“She’s known as an emotional girl, but along the way that kind of thing has to be weighed against an extreme ability to torture herself. It has hit there many times before and it reflects a body that has been pushed too hard,” writes Sæther in his column for the Norwegian newspaper and continues:
“In recent seasons, Frida has challenged Therese Johaug herself and defeated her in a couple of races. But the crash here shows that the Swedish skier is not really close. Frida Karlsson is currently the world’s best female cross-country skier, but she is vulnerable both on and off the track. It’s perfectly fine as long as she and her training environment are able to take care of the young star’s health.”
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READ MORE: Frida Karlsson’s clever answer – after Petter Northug’s rage against the pictures: “It would have been strange…”