Olympic champion Linn Svahn won the sprint in Falun

There are currently many skiers in Dalarna. The Vasalopps week is in full swing and the 102nd edition of the classic main event starts on Sunday at 8 a.m. At the same time, the world elite gathers in Lugnet in Falun for the World Cup competitions, which also serve as a rehearsal for next year’s World Cup at the same location.

On Saturday the sprint was decided in spring-like winter weather with around three degrees plus.

As Linn Svahn prepared for the quarterfinals, the sun was shining.

The Olympic sprint in Tesero ended with a Swedish medal triple: Linn Svahn won ahead of Jonna Sundling. Maja Dahlqvist took bronze. This competition was decided in the classic style.

In the Falun freestyle sprint Svahn already showed in the qualification that the Olympic form will last. She was by far the best and a full 4.65 seconds faster than the qualifier Nadine Fähndrich from Switzerland.

The Olympic silver medalist in the sprint, Jonna Sundling, who also won the sprint relay together with Maja Dahlqvist, is one of the riders who will have to miss the World Cup competitions this weekend due to illness.

Ebba Andersson, William Poromaa, Edvin Anger and Calle Halfvarsson also rejected offers for the same reason.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Frida Karlsson, who ran the five miles in Italy because of a cold and fever, will compete in Falun but skipped Saturday’s sprint to prepare for Sunday’s skiathlon race instead.

A total of nine Swedes took part to the quarterfinals in the sprint, including the Olympic skiers Johanna Hagström, Maja Dahlqvist, Moa Ilar and Emma Ribom.

Ribom withdrew from the quarterfinals as she felt tired, but Svahn, Hagström, Dahlqvist and Ilar advanced. So does Moa Lundgren.

Svahn, Dahlqvist and Hagström also reached the final.

Linn Svahn was in a class of his own there.

With a few quick skate moves on the first steep hill, she gained a lead that she never relinquished.

As she turned into the stadium area, the around 9,000 spectators on site cheered.

In advance, Norwegian Kristine Stavås approached Skistad, but Svahn stayed away from her and raised her right arm in a victory gesture after the finish line.

– Falun is always a highlight of the whole year. “After the weeks I spent in Italy with good Swedish performances, it’s a lot of fun to come here and compete in front of a big audience,” she said in the Arena interview after the competition.

The victory was Svahn’s 18th in the World Cup of his career.

According to Viaplay, only Gunde Svan with 30 and Stina Nilsson with 22 have more in Swedish ski history.

Also on the men’s side It was victory for the Olympic sprint champion. As expected, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was superior and crossed the finish line well ahead of the competition.

Klæbo, who won six of six possible gold medals at the Olympic Games, now won his 108th World Cup victory – and took his fifth sprint victory in a row in Falun.

After the five-mile run at the Olympic Games last Saturday there was a party, then the medal ceremony at the closing of the Olympic Games in Verona. On Monday he went home to Trondheim to rest.

– The first three or four days after the Olympics, I was tired, but after the five miles last Friday I trained for the first time and it felt good. Then I decided to get in the car and drive here, it was a good decision, he says.

George Ersson and Anton Grahn were the best Swedes. Both were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Read more:

Svahn on the five-mile chaos: “It won’t happen like that”

Future vision for Falun: “Imagine having a zip line from here”