Swedish Cross-Country Team Selects Athletes for Davos World Cup Amid Strategic Absences

As the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup reaches its third stop in Davos, Switzerland, the Swedish team has announced a mix of athlete selections and strategic absences ahead of several upcoming major competitions, including the Tour de Ski and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Val di Fiemme.

For the Davos events from Friday to Sunday, the Swedish roster features a strong group of female skiers from diverse clubs, including notable names such as Maja Dahlqvist (Falun-Borlänge SK), Johanna Hagström (Ulricehamns IF), and Emma Ribom (Piteå Elit SK). Other key athletes include Moa Ilar and Moa Lundgren (Falun-Borlänge SK and Åsarna IK respectively), Elina Rönnlund (IFK Umeå), Jonna Sundling (Piteå Elit SK), and Linn Svahn (Östersund SK). On the men’s side, athletes like Edvin Anger (Åsarna IK) and Gustaf Berglund (IFK Mora SK) represent Sweden.

However, several top skiers such as Ebba Andersson, Frida Karlsson, and William Poromaa, all already qualified for the Olympics, will abstain from competing in Davos to focus on training in Sweden for the Tour de Ski. National team chief Anders Byström emphasized this approach is a deliberate strategy to prepare the athletes at lower altitude.

Additionally, Alvar Myhlback will compete in the Ski Classic long-distance cup in Austria rather than Davos. Calle Halfvarsson continues his absence from World Cup events. Yet, Marcus Grate, Moa Lundgren, and Elina Rönnlund return to the national team lineup.

The Davos World Cup schedule includes a freestyle team sprint, an individual freestyle sprint, and a 10-kilometer freestyle interval start. The Swedish Olympic Committee intends to announce further Olympic selections soon, with several athletes currently competing in Davos aiming for Olympic qualification.

In World Cup standings, U.S. skier Jessie Diggins leads the women’s category, backed by Swedish skiers Moa Ilar, Jonna Sundling, and Ebba Andersson. Norwegian Johannes Kläbo tops the men’s standings, with Swedes Edvin Anger and Alvar Myhlback ranked within the top ten.