Andersson leads Swedish party in Skiathlon at Milano Cortina

World champion Ebba Andersson is aiming to kick off a strong Swedish women’s Olympic campaign in the first Cross-Country event at Milano Cortina by winning her first Winter Games gold medal in the 20km Skiathlon after following the same preparations that took her to world glory.

Unlike many of her competitors, Andersson has been out of competition since 4 January, opting to skip the World Cup events or join Sweden’s training camp, in favour of training with her father at her parents’ home.

Andersson has six world titles, three of which she earned at the 2025 Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, including the 20km Skiathlon, and has earned Olympic silver and bronze medals in relay events at the last two Winter Games.

“For the past two world championships, I've found a set-up that I feel really comfortable with,” said Andersson. “That's different to entering my previous two Olympic Games, because then I was still a bit of a seeker.”

Despite the difference to previous Olympic preparations, she will enter the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium with the belief that her current training programme developed with her father will bring her even more success.

“I feel at least as confident (as last year) in the preparations I have made and my current status.

“I also have data on that, based on the training sessions I have done, but no-one will know how that compares to my competitors until the races start.”

Her competitors will include compatriot Jonna Sundling, who joined her on the podium with bronze at the 2025 World Championships and has had a solid World Cup season so far before travelling to Italy.

Sweden’s Moa Ilar also arrives with World Cup wins under her belt this season and Olympic experience from Beijing 2022.

However, current World Cup leader Jessie Diggins (USA) will be hoping to crash the Swedish party to win her first individual gold in what will be her fourth Olympic Winter Games, before her retirement at the end of the season.

She came away from Beijing 2022 with the 30km Mass Start Free silver and Sprint Free bronze, having already tasted gold in the Women’s Team Sprint Free at PyeongChang 2018.

Another Swede in Frida Karlsson, along with Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen – making her Olympic debut – and Austria’s Teresa Stadlober will also be strong contenders for the podium.

Stadlober will be looking to upgrade her Olympic bronze in Skiathlon from Beijing 2022, and her world championship silver behind Andersson last year.

“The Germans and Finns also have shown that they are strong, and then we have suddenly had Stadlober in form,” Andersson said.

As the women’s events continue to expand, the athletes will contest a longer distance at these Games, having competed in 15km skiathlon at Beijing 2022.

For the full Cross-Country schedule for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games click here.