On Tuesday morning, the cross-country trails were so icy that the Swedish team felt compelled to move their training from the World Championship arena Granåsen to another ski area nearby.
However, regardless of the conditions, Jonna Sundling will have to bear the favourite tag in Thursday's opening sprint. She has two consecutive World Championship gold medals in both sprint and sprint relay, is the reigning Olympic champion, and has shown dazzling form this winter. Not least in freestyle, which the World Championship sprint will be held in.
Last time she competed on really hard and icy conditions, she also achieved a crushing victory.
"Life-threatening"
When Sundling won the Swedish Championship gold in Borås at the beginning of February, she crushed her national teammates in the same event. She won the sprint final with almost a ten-second margin.
It was a great day. But even though I was superior time-wise, it was a big challenge with the conditions. It was life-threatening, says Sundling.
She doesn't want it to be like that on Thursday.
You know how it is to drive a car. When the tires don't grip, it's really scary. And that's how it was in Borås. I think it's great to feel safe in skiing and be able to get a good grip on the skis.
What's the scariest thing?
The downhill slopes, answers Sundling quickly.
There's a limit to how icy it can be. The Swedish Championship in Borås was really on the edge. I love when it goes fast, I love curves and when things happen. But the skis didn't grip and it was really scary. Even dangerous.
Tough internal competition
The main challenger on paper is a Norwegian. Home favourite Kristine Stavås Skistad is seen by many as an equally hot candidate for the World Championship gold. Otherwise, Sundling usually finds her biggest competitors within her own team.
Johanna Hagström, Maja Dahlqvist, and Linn Svahn have all taken World Cup victories this winter, and even Emma Ribom – World Championship silver 2023 – has the capacity to fight for medals.
Edvin Anger is the big blue-yellow hope on the men's side. If he has a good day, he might be able to challenge Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, he thinks. The Norwegian has won the last five championship finals in sprint.
It's incredibly impressive. It's almost impossible, says Anger.
This winter, he has also managed to sprint down the Norwegian giant, albeit in a pursuit start during the Tour de Ski.
I showed myself that it's possible. It's possible to ski faster than him.
26/2: Qualifying, 7.5 km, women (13.30) and men (15.30).
27/2: Sprint, women and men, qualifying (10.00) and final passes (12.30).
1/3: Skiathlon, 20 km, men (14.00).
2/3: Skiathlon, 20 km, women (14.00).
4/3: 10 km classical, individual start, men (13.00) and women (15.30).
5/3: Sprint relay, women and men, qualifying (11.00) and final passes (12.20).
6/3: Relay, 4x7.5 km, men (13.00).
7/3: Relay, 4x7.5 km, women (15.15).
8/3: 50 km freestyle, mass start, men (11.30).
9/3: 50 km freestyle, mass start, women (11.30).
