Cross-country skiing: Heidi Weng, bronze medallist at Sochi 2014
In the first cross-country skiing event of the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Norway’s Heidi Weng snatched bronze behind Sweden’s Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson.
“It’s been a long and difficult road. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous on the last lap. I was worried that the others would catch up with me, so I had to be careful not to tense up,” she explained to NRK. And then I took the wrong stand [when changing skis]. It was a bit of a mess, but I put my cross-country skis on and said to myself: ‘Well, too bad for you’.”
Taking advantage of the backlash from her compatriot Astrid Oeyre Slind (sixth at the finish),the number 7 came back from eighth place at mid-race to claim the podium. She thus adds a second Olympic medal to her list of honours after the one she won in Sochi in 2014. “Receiving a medal like this is incredible. I never thought it would mean so much ,” she admits.
On the edge of the Tesero track, her parents couldn’t contain their emotions when they saw her cross the line in third place. Heidi only had one Olympic medal before this one,” her mother, May Bente Weng , told NRK. She’s been on the podium so many times in the World Cup, you can’t even imagine how hard it is to get these medals. It’s a great moment.
For his part, her father drew attention to his daughter’s equipment: “I think it was a decent performance. The skis were bad in the classic. It’s a shame for Heidi who didn’t manage to get up the slopes properly. As a result, she didn’t stand a chance. It was a bit sad to see.
- 2026 Olympics: the full programme for cross-country skiing at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympics
- Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium: everything you need to know about the Val di Fiemme stadium, which will host the cross-country skiing events at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
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- “We favour athletes who are capable of going out and winning medals”: Olivier Michaud looks back at France’s selection for the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
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- Pierre Mignerey, FFS National Technical Director, outlines the French team’s ambitions for the 2026 Olympics: “The aim is to come back from the Games with medals”.
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