Cross-country skiing : Milan/Cortina 2026 before the Vasaloppet?
Sweden’s Alvar Myhlback continues to shake up the world cross-country skiing hierarchy. Last weekend, on the first World Cup stage of the winter in Ruka (Finland), the Scandinavian took sixteenth place in the individual classic and ninth place in the sprint classic. Behind this success, the Nordic skiing world is still wondering: will Alvar Myhlback be at the Olympic Games next February in Milan/Cortina?
For several weeks now, the young Scandinavian has carefully avoided talking about his possible Olympic presence. His declared priority is the Ski Classics – a long-distance circuit in classic style – where he is defending the colours of the Lager 157 Ski Team and where his objective remains clear and unambiguous: the overall classification and victory in the Vasaloppet.
However, the Swede has never completely closed the door. “It’ s impossible to deny that the Olympics are just around the corner,” he toldExpressen. In fact, the Ski Classics takes a break from 1 February to 1 March, exactly the same period as the Winter Olympics. ” Even if I want to take part in all the Ski Classics races, it’s possible to do the Olympics too. I know that. “
The Lager 157 Ski Team‘s position is just as clear. Anton Jernberg, the team’s sporting director, confirms that the young prodigy’s participation in the Olympics is not at odds with his planned programme, but tempers his enthusiasm.
“From a calendar point of view, the Games don’t coincide with the long-distance races. That’s a discussion we’ll have to have if the question becomes relevant, to find out whether it’s worth taking a risk for the Vasaloppet [scheduled for March 1, editor’s note].”
He also recalls that even before the first stage in Ruka, he had a long chat with his protégé: an hour-long conversation to set priorities and define the course of action. ” The important thing for us is that he stays focused on what we’ve agreed, which is our long-term plan,” concludes the coach.
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- Cross-country skiing: Alvar Myhlback ditches the Swedish national team to sign a contract with the Lager 157 Ski Team and focus on the Ski Classics
