Hagstroem wins from front after chaos in Trondheim sprint final

Nine months ago, Johanna Hagstroem (SWE) fell on the last corner in the semi-final of the women's sprint to see her chances of claiming a medal at the Trondheim 2025 Nordic Skiing World Championships disappear.

But at the same course on Friday, the 27-year-old was all smiles after winning the second sprint of the 2025/26 FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup season, taking advantage of the misfortune of others to top the podium at this level for the second time.

"It feels really really amazing to be back on the top of the podium," said Hagstroem, whose only other victory came in Ruka, Finland at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, also a Sprint Classic. "I don't think it's sunk in yet. I felt a little bit tired today, so I'm so happy."

With fast, compact snow, perfect conditions greeted the world's finest sprinters to Trondheim, on a course known for two long straight climbs and a tricky right-hander before a home straight that claimed several victims at the world championships in February, including Hagstroem.

She made serene progress through to the final, avoiding most of the other big-name Swedes. The same couldn't be said of Kristine Stavaas Skistad (NOR). The tall Norwegian won the opening sprint of the season in Ruka last week and was the silver medallist here at the world championships, but in a stacked first quarter-final, she paid the price for her usual tactic of hitting the front then slowing the pace so she can rely on her explosive finish.

Unless you pull well clear of the field, it's often a disadvantage to lead in Trondheim going into the final downhill. Long and straight, it allows the skiers behind to slipstream the front runner. Olympic and world champion Jonna Sundling (SWE) and 2024/25 World Cup sprint champion Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) employed this tactic to overtake Skistad, for whom third place wasn't fast enough for a lucky loser's spot.

Sundling and Hagstroem were joined in the final by Emma Ribom (SWE), returning star Linn Svahn (SWE), Laura Gimmler (GER) and young Norwegian, Ingrid Bergene Aabrekk (NOR).

It was the German who burst out of the starting gate, but at the top of the first downhill Gimmler hit the snow, taking out Svahn and breaking one of Sundling's poles in the process.

Both Swedes recovered quickly, but Sundling lost several seconds trying to locate a spare pole and Svahn also had ground to make up. This left Hagstroem clear in front, followed by Ribom and Aabrekk.

By the final corner, Svahn and Sundling were back in contention. But Sundling pushed too hard, chasing a tight line on the sharp left-hander before the final downhill, where she took a tumble after a clash of skis with Aabrekk.

By this point, Hagstroem was already 10 metres clear, meaning she didn't need to take any risks on the corner that had wrecked her world championship dreams. She eventually crossed the line 1.53 seconds ahead of Ribom, who claimed her first individual podium since finishing third in this race two years ago. Svahn, in her first race of the season after injury, recovered to complete the podium 2.67s behind Hagstroem. Sundling was fourth.

"Oh wow, it feels amazing," said a giggly Hagstroem, who blew kisses to the camera as she celebrated her victory. "I had no idea what was happening. I heard something behind me on the first downhill and I was like 'am I alone? Did something happen?' Then I thought, I need to push but maybe save some extra energy for the end. I'm kind of in shock.

In an interesting sub-plot, it had been rumoured before the race that selection for Sweden's sprint team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was up for grabs in Trondheim, although it was hard to get a read on form amid all the incidents in the final. Moa Ilar and Maja Dahlqvist, who reached the podium in Ruka last week but failed to make the final in Trondheim, will also be in contention.

The action continues in Trondheim on Saturday with the Men's and Women's 20km Skiathlon.

For all the results from Trondheim, click here