Cross-country skiing: from Trondheim to Tesero, Linn Svahn’s renaissance
On Tuesday, Linn Svahn became Olympic classic sprint champion in Tesero (Italy), watched by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf. A powerful image, symbolising a long-awaited return to the top.
Because less than a year earlier, the Swedish sprinter’s trajectory had taken a sudden turn for the worse. On 26 February 2025, during a training session at Granåsen (Norway), in Trondheim, Svahn crashed heavily and hit her head. Her hopes of competing in the World Championships were dashed. The diagnosis was concussion. Immediate end to the season, and a long period of uncertainty.
A long convalescence followed. For weeks, it was more a question of rest, patience and medical signals than times or podiums. “ First I had to become a normal person again before becoming an athlete”, she told the Swedish press at the time.
Her return to competition has been a gradual process. Initially discreet, sometimes hesitant, Linn Svahn gradually found her bearings. A podium finish in theehttps://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=CC&competitorid=206377&raceid=49476nWorld Cup in Trondheim in December 2025 confirmed that the machine was on the move again, before a victory in the classic sprint in Goms (Switzerland) in January 2026, proof that her explosiveness had not disappeared.
In Tesero, the Swede dominated the proceedings, rediscovering her unique ability to make the difference in the final metres with team-mates Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist on her skis. Never before had three Swedes stood together on the podium of an Olympic sprint.
