Svahn lifts 'rollercoaster year' back to the top with Goms Sprint win

Linn Svahn's "rollercoaster year" looks to be on an upward trajectory just in time for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, as the Swede returned from a six-week absence from the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup to win the Sprint Classic in Goms, Switzerland, on Saturday.

The 26-year-old, who missed last year's World Championships due to a concussion in training and has been out of World Cup action since competing in Davos (SUI) on 15 December, returned to Switzerland with a strong statement in the final Sprint before the Games.

She posted the fastest time in the prologue, beating No.2 Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland by 1.84 seconds and Finland’s third-placed Jasmi Joensuu by 4.35 seconds, and went on to win every race thereafter.

In the final, Svahn took an early lead and held it throughout the race, leaving her opponents to fight for the two remaining podium spots.

She claimed her first World Cup victory since winning the Sprint Classic in Falun, Sweden, on Valentine’s Day last year, finishing 0.12 seconds ahead of Laura Gimmler of Germany in second place, as home hope Faehndrich finished third.

"It's so nice to be back and compete again," said Svahn, who has been battling injuries and illness.

Svahn’s second podium of the season, having finished third in the Sprint Classic in Trondheim, Norway, on 5 December, strengthens her case for a start in the Olympic Sprint Classic at Val di Fiemme, Italy, on 10 February.

In most other teams, Svahn’s Sprint spot would be secure, but Sweden has four skiers among the top seven in the World Cup Sprint standings, and Svahn is not one of them.

The competition includes Olympic and world champion Jonna Sundling (SWE), World Cup Sprint leader Maja Dahlqvist (SWE), World Cup Overall No.2 Moa Ilar (SWE), and Johanna Hagstroem (SWE), who won the Trondheim Sprint in December and reached the podium on the Olympic tracks in Val di Fiemme a few weeks ago.

"We have a strong team, so it was nice to do a good race today. Now we are going to prepare for the final weeks (before Milano Cortina 2026)," Svahn said, adding that her Olympic nerves were "quite all right".

Also happy to be racing, Gimmler’s form continued to look strong as she secured her second podium in two days in Goms, having won the Team Sprint Free with Coletta Rydzek on Friday.

It was the second individual World Cup podium of her career, and a career-best result, with one previous third place in a Sprint Classic to her name.

"It's incredible, it's insane. I can't believe it," Gimmler said.

"Especially today. I was so tired in the morning, and I kept saying to myself, 'I don't have that much energy left from yesterday, it's OK not to be that strong today'.

The exhausted but pleased Sprint specialist will not stick around for Sunday's 20km Mass Start Classic.
"My plan is to go home now, go to bed and stay there for as long as possible, and I can't wait to do that," Gimmler said.

Faehndrich had been in fourth place for much of Saturday’s final but worked her way back into contention on the final flat stretches, carried by the cheers of the home fans. On the home straight, she pushed past Dahlqvist to take third place, 0.26 seconds behind the winner.

“It’s great,” the 30-year-old said.

"It was amazing to ski here, and I really enjoyed racing in front of friends and family and this great home crowd. It’s really close to where I live, so for me this is my home World Cup.

"I will race tomorrow and then stay here in Goms for a few more days for the final pre-camp, before going home for a few days and then on to Predazzo (in Val di Fiemme)."

Johanna Matintalo of Finland, who reached the final after two Lucky Loser finishes, claimed fifth place, 5.46 seconds behind the winner, as Sweden’s Emma Ribom lost touch with the front group and finished sixth and last in the final.

The fourth place result moved Dahlqvist into first place in the Sprint standings with 525 points. She held a 22-point lead over Sundling coming into this World Cup and is now 61 points ahead of Faehndrich, whose podium finish lifted her from fourth to second overall.

Hagstroem is third on 435 points, while Sundling, absent this weekend, dropped from second to fourth with 416. Joensuu sits fifth, just one point behind Sundling on 415.

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