“Is it so slow for Swedes?”

The Swedes took three of the four top positions in the race in Gällivare.
Afterwards, Sweden is criticized for the detail in the competition.
“Shame on Sweden!”, writes the Norwegian columnist Ernst A. Lersveen on X.

After the World Cup premiere in Ruka, where there were great Swedish successes on the women’s side, it was time to return home to Sweden and Gällivare during the weekend. But it ended up with a sprained team as several riders fell ill with corona.

Swedish successes

It was still a good weekend for the Swedes. During Sunday won Moa Lundgren, Emma Ribom, Ebba Andersson and Moa Ilar the baton. It was the first time since 2009 that the women’s team won a relay in the World Cup. In the 10 kilometer race, for the first time this World Cup season, Sweden did not win. But Andersson, Ilar and Ribom were all in the top four, after the winner Jessie Diggins.

The article continues after the picture.

231203 Ebba Andersson of Sweden I competes in the Women’s Cross Country Skiing Relay 4×7.5 km during the FIS Cross-Country World Cup on December 3, 2023 in Gällivare. Photo: Emma Wallskog / BILDBYRÅN / COP 320 / EW0297

In total, there were nine Swedish women at the start of the 10-kilometer race. In addition to the top three, it was Moa Lundgren (19th place), Louise Lindström (21st place), Lisa Ingesson (27th), Evelina Crusell (36th), Martha Rosenberg (38th) and Ingrid Hallquist (49th). The youngest in the group is Evelina Crusell, born in 2004. Next come Märta Rosenberg and Lisa Ingesson, both born in 2002.
However, the Swedish team could have started with twelve skaters, because the competitions were at home in Gällivare.

Norwegian criticism

Despite the majority of young and non-ordinary skiers, Sweden is now receiving harsh criticism for not filling up our quota of skiers.
“Embarrassing Sweden! As the host nation, the Swedes have twelve places in today’s 10 km in Gällivare, but only completed nine. Leave it to the young, let them gain experience,” writes the Norwegian columnist Ernst A. Lersveen on X, formerly Twitter.

The article continues after the picture.

181117 Ernst A. Lersveen, reporter of TV 2, after the men’s sprint free technique prologue during Beitosprinten 2018 on November 17, 2018 in Beitostølen. Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt / BILDBYRÅN / code VG / 170253

The head of length Lars Öberg points to the many covid cases the Swedish squad suffered from (Frida Karlsson, Lynn Svahn, Jonna Sundling and Johanna Hagstrom). National team manager Anders Byström, in turn, believes that there have been cases of illness among the reserves as well, and that it did not feel fair to call up new ones with just a few days’ notice.

READ MORE: Jonna Sundling’s shock after the difficult news – scared her partner Anton: “He was terrified”

But Ernst A. Lersveen doesn’t buy it.
– There are girls queuing here who are more than happy to take part in this. They don’t need a whole Advent to prepare for a ski race. It’s something they all love to do. Skiers must be prepared to cross-country ski, and they are almost every weekend after the snow arrives. Or is it so slow for Swedes that they must have more time than others to prepare? I don’t know, says Lersveen to Nettavisen.

READ MORE: The great anger towards Alvar Myhlback after the debut – is now criticized and was told the harsh words: “Not okay”

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