PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The Swedish cross-country team has now gone on a little holiday break.
And you can do it with a clear conscience.
The start of this year’s cross-country season is historic for Sweden.
The first stage of the Swedish national ski team’s season is over, and now an admittedly short, but nevertheless well-deserved break awaits over the Christmas weekend. And the national team can treat themselves to an extra meatball on the Christmas table, as the beginning of the season is historic for Sweden with 14 podium places during the first four weeks of competition. One reason for that, apart from the fine Swedish performances themselves, could be that the Norwegian star skater Therese Johaug was not included in the tracks.
The Swedish success
And national team manager Anders Byström is not unexpectedly very happy with the blue-yellow success.
– The start in Ruka, Finland, gave Sweden triple double victories on the women’s side when Emma Ribom won first in the sprint, Ebba Andersson won before Frida Karlsson in the classic race and Frida Karlsson won before Ebba Andersson in the chase start. This was topped off with Calle Halfvarsson took a third place which he was unfortunately deprived of when he was washed. We protested both there and later, but the jury stood by its decision, says Byström to the site skidor.com.
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In Lillehammer it was as usual the toughest possible competition in the form of the Norwegian skaters, but even there the Swedes succeeded in the form of Emma Ribom and Maja Dahlqvist bite off. It was a double victory in the sprint, as Ribom won before Dahlqvist.
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Diseases interfered
But during the competitions in the Norwegian Beitostölen, the problems began to pile up. Calle Halfvarsson certainly got his revenge with his impressive podium finish, but several Swedish riders started to feel crass at the same time. Something that had consequences before the competitions in Davos.
– Once on site in Switzerland, we received several people who felt milder symptoms and were therefore unable to compete in the competitions, and we received reinforcements in the team from some long-distance skiers who were allowed to make their World Cup debut, says Anders Byström.
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The weekend in Davos began with a sprint where, despite the fall, it was a successful competition for Johanna Hagström, who finished in third place.
The second World Cup period begins on New Year’s Eve when the Tour de Ski starts in Val Müstair.
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