Frida Karlsson ensured that there were two Swedes on the podium with her bronze. But once again, she ended up in the shadow of Ebba Andersson, who had peaked better than she had imagined for the Ski World Championship.
I'm just as surprised today as I was yesterday, actually, says Andersson, who also won Sunday's skiathlon.
Why are you so surprised?
Because a gold on 10 kilometers classical is not really something I even dared to think about in my wildest fantasy.
Only a Dryg Second
Andersson won the duel against Therese Johaug on the classical mile with a mere 1.3 seconds. The icy rain pouring over the World Championship arena Granåsen doesn't seem to faze her when she explains how she managed to crack the big home favorite twice in three days.
It was nothing I had counted on beforehand. But all the more delightful when you have the margins on your side. Because if I think historically, I haven't exactly been spoiled by beating Therese. So I'll try to enjoy it as long as it lasts.
Andersson started a minute before Therese Johaug, who has won the classical World Championship mile four times. At an intermediate time, Andersson led by a hair's breadth, and at the next, Johaug was barely ahead. In the skiathlon, Ebba Andersson won on the finish line photo, not much more separated them this time.
"Will it Work?"
But despite the Norwegian having the Swedish time to go on, it wasn't enough in the slippery tracks. Following Johaug's finish was a thrill, admits the Swedish winner.
Considering how difficult it was to judge this finish today, how long it would take to get from the last curve to the finish line, it was so hard to know "Will it work or won't it?"
A threat remained out on the tracks. Austrian Teresa Stadlober led for a while. But she faded at the end and was ultimately 15 seconds from the bronze. Frida Karlsson's fine finish also meant that Stadlober missed the podium altogether.
It wasn't until I was inside the stadium area that I felt: Now it's done.
Ebba Andersson now has five World Championship golds, as many as Jonna Sundling, who started the championship by winning the sprint. Only Gunde Svan (seven World Championship golds) has more.
Do we have an internal competition now, me and Jonna? I think I'll just be happy for the ones I have anyway.
Born: July 10, 1997 (27 years old) in Delsbo.
Club: Piteå Elit.
Debut in the World Cup: February 15, 2015.
Main merits: Two World Championship golds in skiathlon (2023, 2025), World Championship gold on 10 km (2025), World Championship gold on 30 km (2023), World Championship gold in relay (2019), World Championship silver in relay (2017), World Championship bronze on 10 km (2023), World Championship bronze in relay (2023), World Championship bronze on 10 km (2021), World Championship bronze in skiathlon (2021), Olympic silver in relay (2018), Olympic bronze in relay (2022).
7 World Championship golds: Gunde Svan.
5 World Championship golds: Jonna Sundling, Ebba Andersson.
4 World Championship golds: Torgny Mogren, Sixten Jernberg.
3 World Championship golds: Charlotte Kalla, Per Elofsson, Thomas Wassberg, Nils-Joel Englund.
2 World Championship golds: Stina Nilsson, Johan Olsson, Sven-Åke Lundbäck, Thomas Magnusson, Assar Rönnlund, Sture Grahn, Karl-Erik Åström, Sven Utterström, John Lindgren.
