It was the blue-and-yellow women's cross-country skiing team's fifth gold out of a possible six at the Olympics in Italy. And Ebba Andersson from Sollefteå now takes her place alongside icons such as Sixten Jernberg (1956), Gunde Svan (1984), Charlotte Kalla (2018) and Stina Nilsson (2018), as one of five Swedish cross-country skiers to have won four Olympic medals at a single Winter Games.
After three silver medals earlier in Val di Fiemme (skiathlon, 10 km and relay), she finally won her first Olympic gold medal.
The decision came with just over 20 km to go, when she pulled away from Norwegian Heidi Weng - the duo had left the other skiers far behind after just two of seven laps - and then pulled clear. The move came a little unexpectedly considering the scenes that had just unfolded inside the stadium. Just after they had changed skis, Andersson fell flat on her stomach when her new skis hit the snow, and the Norwegian gained a few seconds.
Put in the gold shot
But unlike in the long relay the other day, when Sweden missed out on gold after Andersson toppled twice, she quickly recovered. She was immediately on Weng's back and then landed the gold shot, exactly where she had intended to.
"It really went according to plan," she told SVT.
When the 28-year-old paraded towards the Olympic gold, it brought back memories of great Swedish feats of old in Val di Fiemme, precisely in the 5-mile race. Here at the Tesero ski stadium, Torgny Mogren and Gunde Svan took a one-two at the 1991 World Championships, Johan Olsson took a memorable World Championships gold at the same distance and location in 2013, and at this year's Olympic arena, Anders Södergren and Jörgen Brink were also on the podium in the 2003 World Championships 5-mile race.
Calmly, Ebba Andersson was able to ski onto the finish straight in solitary majesty and receive the cheers of the audience (among them Crown Princess Victoria and her family) and put an end to a new golden championship for the Swedish women's national team.
"It feels like it really was revenge twice over," Andersson said.
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She finished more than two minutes ahead of Weng and more than six and a half minutes ahead of Swiss Nadja Kälin, who won the bronze medal.
Tenth medal
At the World Championships last year, Sweden won all six women's gold medals, but only two bronze medals. At the 2026 Olympics, there were ten medals: five gold, four silver and one bronze.
One of the pre-race favourites, Norwegian Astrid Øyre Slind, fell out of contention early after neither her body nor her skis were with her.
Emma Ribom finished tenth and was the only Swede besides Andersson to start. Both Frida Karlsson and Jonna Sundling were supposed to race but fell ill, and since Sweden had already sent all other Olympic skiers home, there were no reserves available.
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
Facts: Ebba Andersson
TT
Born: July 10, 1997 (28 years old) in Delsbo.
Club: Piteå Elite.
World Cup debut: February 15, 2015.
Main achievements: Olympic gold in 50 km (2026), Olympic silver in skiathlon and 10 km (both 2026), two Olympic silver medals in the relay (2018, 2026), Olympic bronze in the relay (2022), two World Championship gold medals in skiathlon (2023, 2025), World Championship gold in 10 km (2025), World Championship gold in 30 km (2023), two World Championship gold medals in the relay (2019, 2025), World Championship silver in the relay (2017), World Championship bronze in 10 km (2023), World Championship bronze in the relay (2023), World Championship bronze in 10 km (2021), World Championship bronze in skiathlon (2021).
