Facts: Jonna Sundling
Born: 28 December 1994 in Umeå (age 28).
Lives: Östersund.
Club: Piteå Elit SK.
Coach: Magnus Ingesson.
Main achievements: Olympic gold in sprint 2022 (freestyle), WC gold sprint (classic style) 2021, WC gold sprint relay (f) 2021, Olympic silver in sprint relay (k) 2022, Olympic bronze in relay 2023. Seven individual World Cup victories in sprints and a further twelve podiums. A World Cup victory in the sprint relay and one in the mixed sprint relay.
The WC start in Slovenian Planica will be a challenge for the Swedish cross-country team.
On Thursday, the championship begins with the individual sprint. Two days later the women’s skiathlon takes place. On Sunday, the sprint relays will be decided.
Jonna Sundling, reigning Olympic and World Cup gold medalist in sprints, is the great Swedish hope in Thursday’s competition. She would also have liked to take part in the skiathlon – as well as all WC races.
— It’s in a dream scenario, so really a dream scenario. It would require a lot from me both mentally and physically. But if I’m fit, I absolutely believe it could be an option, Sundling told TT ahead of the season.
But sandwiched between sprints and sprint relays, the skiathlon race can get in the way. Despite the fact that Sundling had probably been given a place in the team next to Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson among others.
Signals disappointment
— I would have really loved to run the skiathlon. It was a very long time ago. I have always liked skiathlon. But since the sprint is priority one, the skiathlon may not be relevant. It is a bit tight. Then there will be more competitions, says Jonna Sundling, who signals disappointment when she comments on the WC program:
— It would have been good to have more space between the competitions so that more people could have driven everything. But now I’m not in control of the program and that can’t be changed.
Emma Ribom is another skater who is current for both distances. She may be forced to forgo Saturday’s competition if she is selected for the sprint relay. At the same time, both Sundling and Ribom are challenged by Maja Dahlqvist, Linn Svahn and Johanna Hagström for the places in the team for the sprint relay.
The women’s coach: “Tougher”
The women’s coach, Stefan Thomson, on the WC programme:
— Development continues. In the future, it will not be easier for one and the same skater to win sprint and distance at a championship. It gets tougher the more development progresses. Now we have to wait for Thursday’s individual sprint to take the next step with this selection.
TT: If Jonna Sundling and Emma Ribom do not place in the sprint relay after the efforts in the individual race. What then happens with the selection for the skiathlon race?
— Then an opportunity to ride the skiathlon opens up for those who will not ride the sprint relay.