Truls Gisselman Shines with Best Ever 7th Place in Olympic Skiathlon Amid Swedish Team Setbacks

At the 2026 Winter Olympics skiathlon event in Milano Cortina, Swedish skier Truls Gisselman delivered a breakthrough performance, finishing 7th, his best ever result and the highest placing for Sweden in the race. Gisselman expressed disbelief at his achievement, saying, "Jag fattar ingenting!" (I don't understand anything!). This marked his first top-10 finish in major competitions, surpassing expectations.

In contrast, fellow Swede Edvin Anger faced multiple setbacks, breaking his ski pole twice during the race. After the second break, he was mistakenly given a skate pole instead of a classic pole, equipment unsuitable for the event, which hindered his performance. Expert commentator Torgny Mogren criticized the Swedish team's management of Anger's equipment issues as "klantigt" (clumsy). Anger described the day as frustrating and planned to focus on the upcoming sprint event. Gustaf Berglund also struggled, falling during the freestyle portion and finishing 39th, while William Poromaa placed 12th.

The race was won by Norway's Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, who outpaced competitors in the final stretch, with Mathis Desloges and Martin Löwström Nyenget taking silver and bronze respectively. Despite a yellow card for a minor infraction, Desloges remained on the podium.

Gisselman's strong performance stands out against the difficulties faced by his teammates, highlighting his rising status within Sweden's cross-country skiing contingent at these Games.