The 19-year-old Alvar Myhlback finished seventh in the qualifying round of the classic Olympic sprint in Val di Fiemme.
It is a confirmation that the young Swede wants to be in the fight for the top positions when the final session is decided around lunchtime. But the question is whether anyone can upset the superb Klæbo, who was two and a half seconds faster than American qualifier Ben Ogden. The difference between Klæbo and Myhlback was more than seven seconds.
Other Swedes had it a little harder, but both Edvin Anger (19th place) and Anton Grahn (25th) did not look too nervous after the finish. It was worse for Johan Häggström, but he eventually made it to the quarterfinals as the 30th and last skater.
In the quarterfinals, starting at 12:20, Anger and Häggström will both face Klæbo and French runner-up Jules Chappaz.
Myhlback will compete in heat 2 against, among others, Ogden and Italy's Federico Pellegrino.
