Sundling puts the icing on the cake with team sprint gold

Sweden’s Jonna Sundling confirmed her status as cross-country’s skiing No.1 women’s sprinter on Sunday, adding team gold the individual title she won on Thursday at the 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia.

Defending the title she won with Maja Dahlqvist two years ago – and with whom she claimed Olympic silver at Beijing 2022 – Sundling this time teamed up with Emma Ribom, who had taken individual silver here, making Sweden hot favourites.

This wasn’t the only thing that was different to three days ago, though. On a much-changed course – overnight snow making conditions much firmer, and easier, at a venue that had proven hazardous thus far – the skiers switched to the freestyle technique. But for Sundling, the result was just the same.

With each pair skiing six laps of the 1.4km course alternately, it was the USA who hit the front first. Jessie Diggins, who led her country to gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, set a blistering pace in an attempt to break the field, and indeed there was soon a gap between the top five and the rest, two early mistakes by Switzerland’s Anja Weber costing team-mate Nadine Faehndrich – second in this season’s World Cup sprint standings – the chance to stay in touch.

With the leaders largely staying out of trouble between the congested changeover area and the final downhill section – a fast, sweeping left-hand turn – five had become three by the final lap, with the Swedes happy to let the USA and Norway share the lead.

Julia Kern (USA) dropped back in the penultimate climb, leaving a two-way fight between Sundling and overall World Cup leader Tiril Udnes Weng (NOR), who was partnering Anne Kjersti Kalvaa. But thanks to a Klaebo-esque burst on the final ascent, it was the 28-year-old Swede who proved her pedigree. Such has been her recent dominance, in fact, that Norway and USA seemed delighted to take silver and bronze respectively. Olympic champions Germany finished fourth, 22.9 seconds back.

“I had a plan to ski faster and faster [as the race progressed] and it worked, so I’m really happy,” Sundling said.

“It feels really good to be world champions,” 25-year-old Ribom said. “It was quite a hard race – really high speed from the start ... I think we hope for a cake tonight!”

The women’s events in the world championships continue on Tuesday with the 10km individual freestyle.

Click here for the full results of the women’s team sprint.