German roommates’ Team Sprint win boosts hopes of Olympic repeat

Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek won the Women’s Team Sprint Free at the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Goms, Switzerland, on Friday, making a clear statement as Germany will aim for a second consecutive Team Sprint gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Four years ago, Katharina Hennig and Victoria Carl won the event at Beijing 2022. In the last World Cup stage before this year’s Olympic Cross-Country action kicks off in Val di Fiemme, Italy, another German duo paced their race to perfection to claim the victory.

Astrid Oeyre Slind and Julie Bjervig Drivenes in Norway I finished in second place, 0.52 seconds behind the winners, as Karoline Groetting and Tiril Udnes Weng in Norway II completed the podium.

"It was very cool," Gimmler said.

Gimmler and Rydzek stuck in third place for a big part of the race before Rydzek moved up to second place in the closing stages of the sixth and final lap, overtaking Weng in the last corner, still with something left to give in the home straight.

There, 28-year-old Rydzek, who claimed a second place in last week's Sprint Free in Oberhof, Germany, pushed past Drivenes to take the victory.

"We had a good tactic together and it worked out and now we’re happy," Gimmler said.

The victory in the last stage of the World Cup before the Olympic Games gave a welcomed boost of confidence ahead of Milano Cortina 2026, according to the 32-year-old.

"We are very confident now, and we are very happy and thankful to do this together," Gimmler said, adding:

"I think it’s important to keep calm in the mind."

The duo try not to think too much about the Olympic Team Sprint Free that will be decided on 18 February.

"We try to stay cool and not think so much about the Olympics and to have high expectations," she said.

"There are still two or three weeks left and it’s important now to stay calm, keep the energy, focus on the work and on the things that we are strong at, and then we will see."

Weng finished two 10ths of a second behind her teammate to finish in third place – more than five seconds ahead of Finland I’s Jasmi Joensuu in fourth place. Racing with Jasmin Kahara, Joensuu had looked like she could go for the victory in the last 1.5km lap but got stuck behind the Norwegians and lost momentum as she tried to make a move to the front.

Samantha Smith and Julia Kern of USA I completed the top five as home hopes Nadja Kaelin and Alina Meier of Switzerland, who had been in second place halfway through the race, finished sixth.

Sweden's Team Sprint world champions Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling did not start on Friday, as Maerta Rosenberg and Johanna Hagstroem in Sweden I had to settle for a ninth place.

Sweden however still lead the Team Cup on 4,414 points, 489 points ahead of Norway in second place on 3,925. Finland take third place with 2,642 as Germany, in fourth place, have 2,551.

The World Cup action in Goms continues on Saturday with the Women’s and Men’s Sprint, contested in Classic style, just as it will be at the Olympic Games on 10 February.

Click here for full results from the Women’s Team Sprint Free and here to follow FIS Cross-Country on Youtube.