World Cup Premiere in Ruka

In Ruka, the World Cup premiere in cross-country skiing kicks off this Friday. Frida Karlsson, who made a speedy recovery from an overexertion injury, is among 21 Swedish athletes traveling to the Finnish venue. After spending much of the preseason rehabilitating in Tenerife, Karlsson managed to perform well at the Swedish premiere in Bruksvallarna, finishing second in the classic distance race behind Ebba Andersson.

Andersson won both distance races at the Swedish premiere over the weekend, and unsurprisingly, she is also part of the team heading to the World Cup.

"The entire A-team is included, but we will also see athletes like Måns Skoglund, Johan Ekberg, and Märta Rosenberg after their excellent performances in Bruksvallarna," said national team chief Anders Byström in a press release.

Moa Lundgren was omitted from the A-team in May but has since made her own push and finished third in the freestyle race in Bruksvallarna behind Andersson and Maja Dahlqvist. Despite her strong showing, Lundgren will not compete in the World Cup premiere.

Men's Team

Two of Sweden's biggest male stars, Calle Halfvarsson and William Poromaa, have experienced back issues and colds but have been included in the squad. "Both William Poromaa and Calle Halfvarsson have faced some bumps on their way to Ruka, but we believe and hope they will be fully ready for the weekend," stated Anders Byström.

Event Schedule

Friday, November 29
10 km Classic (Women) at 10:00
10 km Classic (Men) at 12:40
Saturday, November 30
Sprint, Classic (Men and Women) at 11:30
Sunday, December 1
20 km Freestyle, Mass Start (Women) at 09:30
20 km Freestyle, Mass Start (Men) at 11:30