There will be a lot of stars at Lugnet this weekend. Among the participants in this weekend’s World Cup are a Swedish gold-winning quartet, as well as Johannes Hösflot Klæbo, who won all six gold medals at the championships in Val di Fiemme.
The competitions in Italy concluded on Sunday. As is well known, the cross-country skiing events were held in Val di Fiemme. The next international championship for the cross-country skiers (and of course also for the ski jumpers and Nordic combined athletes) will be the World Championships in Falun, which begin exactly one year from now. But already next weekend, Falun will host World Cup competitions in Cross-Country skiing as well as the Continental Cup in Nordic combined. And there will be plenty of newly crowned medalists at Lugnet.
As the host nation, Sweden is allowed to field additional skiers. The Swedish squad includes the newly crowned gold medalists Maja Dahlqvist, Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson and Linn Svahn.
There are also several World Cup debutants, such as Emilia Eriksson, Tove Ericsson, Theo Mattei and Wilhelm Sterner, as well as local hopes Moa Ilar, Calle Halfvarsson and Edvin Anger.
– Falun always means something extra to us. Competing in front of a Swedish crowd gives us energy, and we look forward to giving back with attacking skiing, says national team manager Anders Byström in a press release.
– With the World Championships on home soil next year, every race in Falun is part of our build-up. The journey starts here – and we see the weekend as a dress rehearsal where we both want to perform and take the next step in our upcoming World Championship campaign, says Byström.
Gold medalist Jonna Sundling and William Poromaa will miss the competitions in Falun due to illness. Sweden won five of the twelve gold medals in the cross-country events in Val di Fiemme. The remaining seven were won by Norway.
The most prolific medal collector was Johannes Hösflot Klæbo, who, just like at last year’s World Championships in Trondheim, won all six gold medals. Klæbo will compete on both race days in Falun.
The Norwegian squad traveling to Falun also includes five additional newly crowned gold medalists: Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs, Karoline Simpson Larsen, Heidi Weng, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget and Emil Iversen.
Here is the Swedish team:
SPRINT, FREESTYLE
WOMEN
Maja Dahlqvist, Falun-Borlänge SK
Johanna Hagström, Ulricehamns IF
Moa Hansson, Falun-Borlänge SK
Elin Henriksson, Skellefteå SK (U23 / leads the Smart Energy Cup)
Moa Ilar, Falun-Borlänge SK
Lisa Ingesson, Piteå Elit SK
Frida Karlsson, Sollefteå Skidor IF
Moa Lundgren, Åsarna IK
Elin Näslund, Falun-Borlänge SK (U23)
Emma Ribom, Piteå Elit SK
Märta Rosenberg, Trillevallens SK
Linn Svahn, Östersunds SK
MEN
Oskar Algotsson, Åsarna IK (leads the Smart Energy Cup)
Edvin Anger, Åsarna IK
Erik Bergström, Rehns BK (U23)
Emil Danielsson, Högbo GIF
George Ersson, Falun-Borlänge SK
Anton Grahn, IFK Mora SK (U23)
Marcus Grate, IFK Umeå
Johan Häggström, Piteå Elit SK
Erik Johansson, Falun-Borlänge SK (U23)
Olof Jonsson, Trillevallens SK
Jesper Persson, Åsarna IK
Wilhelm Sterner, Täby IS SK (U23)
SKIATHLON
WOMEN
Ebba Andersson, Piteå Elit SK
Maja Dahlqvist, Falun-Borlänge SK
Emilia Eriksson, Ulricehamns IF (U23)
Tove Ericsson, Hudiksvalls IF (U23)
Moa Ilar, Falun-Borlänge SK
Lisa Ingesson, Piteå Elit SK
Frida Karlsson, Sollefteå Skidor IF
Moa Lundgren, Åsarna IK
Emma Ribom, Piteå Elit SK
Märta Rosenberg, Trillevallens SK
Elina Rönnlund, IFK Umeå
Linn Svahn, Östersunds SK
MEN
Oskar Algotsson, Åsarna IK (leads the Smart Energy Cup)
Edvin Anger, Åsarna IK
Gustaf Berglund, IFK Mora SK
Johan Ekberg, IFK Mora SK
Jonas Eriksson, IFK Mora SK
Truls Gisselman, Rehns BK
Calle Halfvarsson, Sågmyra SK
Johan Häggström, Piteå Elit SK
Leo Johansson, Falun-Borlänge SK
Jonatan Lindberg, IFK Mora SK (U23)
Theo Mattei, Kiruna Skidor (U23)
Eric Rosjö, IFK Mora SK
Photo: Nordic Focus