Sweden’s Karlsson and Andersson ‘hungry’ for Cross-Country gold

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson will go head-to-head for Olympic gold again at Milano Cortina 2026 in the Women’s Interval Start Free at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on Thursday having already claimed the top two spots in the Women’s 10km + 10km Skiathlon.

Karlsson, fresh from her maiden Olympic title on Saturday, recognised both her rivalry with Andersson and the strength and “hunger” within the Swedish women’s team.

Sweden will also have Moa Ilar, who placed 14th in the Skiathlon, and Emma Ribom, who came 6th in the Women’s Sprint Free at Beijing 2022, representing them in the Interval Start Free.

“Together, we’ve made up that feeling and hunger for the gold,” Karlsson said.

Andersson, who has six world championship titles and Olympic silvers from Milano Cortina 2026 and Pyeongchang 2018, along with bronze from Beijing 2022, will now be aiming to follow her team-mate and chase down her first Olympic gold.

The 28-year-old had similar sentiments to Karlsson on their rivalry, which will make it an interesting fight for gold between the two.

“We have been together for many years now, at home in Sweden at Hallstaberget [a mountain in their mutual hometown Sollefteaa] and in the Swedish team,” Andersson said. “We have had a lot of fights [competitions] during many years. 

“It’s like an inspiration to say that, ‘if she can do it, then maybe I can do it some day’. It’s good that we already have a new chance [to race] on Thursday.”

Despite their rivalry, Karlsson also pointed out how the pair had talked during the Skiathlon race and helped push each other to the top of the podium.

"It felt so incredibly comfortable with Ebba there,” Karlsson said. “We talked the whole time, growing and pushing each other, as people dropped off. In the end it felt like ‘now we’re at Hallsta [by the Hallsta mountain in Sollefteaa] training’.”

The 26-year-old Karlsson’s success at this Winter Olympic Games could also influence her future in the sport, as she said “we will see” when asked if she will stick to her plans to retire after next season. “I like to have that in mind,” she added.

“I really want to take care of these years. Maybe I’ll change my mind in the last race.”

Heidi Weng (NOR), who took bronze on Saturday, will be looking to challenge the Swedes having felt good in the Freestyle section of the Skiathlon. “I feel like I didn’t have such a good race in the classic part, but in the skating [Freestyle] part I had so much power. It was an amazing feeling,” she said after the race.

Weng also won bronze at her first Olympic Winter Games at Sochi 2014 in the 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon so will be hoping to add a different colour to her Olympic medal collection at Milano Cortina 2026.

Four-time Olympian Jessie Diggins (USA), who plans to retire at the end of this season, will be hoping to cap her career with her first individual Olympic gold, having won the Women's Team Sprint Free at PyeongChang 2018, silver in the 30km Mass Start Free and bronze in the Sprint Free at Beijing 2022.

The American has so far had an unfortunate start to Milano Cortina 2026, as she reached eighth in the Skiathlon after picking up an injury to her ribs during a heavy fall in the race, resulting in her suffering pain in the Sprint Classic and going out of contention in the quarter-finals.

Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen, in her first Winter Olympic Games at Milano Cortina 2026, could also be a contender and will come into this race with some confidence after winning at Val Di Fiemme in January and at Davos the month before in the World Cup.

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