The veteran from Sågmyra is suddenly portrayed as Sweden's best hope for the final 5-mile race at the Olympics.
"I probably wouldn't have thought so given how the season has been. But I know what I can do when I'm in good shape," says the 36-year-old ahead of what will most likely be his last Olympic race of his career.
He has at least enough experience. And if he can do as he did in the last championship 5-mile classic, when he was fourth at the 2023 World Championships in Planica, it will be enough to prevent the 2026 Olympics from becoming the worst championship for Swedish men's cross-country skiing to date.
"It will be key for me to be able to join in at the start of the race, especially if it starts going fast. You have to fight your way through the first two or three miles. Then there is usually a group that stays together until the sprint," says Halfvarsson.
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