PHOTO: Bildbyrån
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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